Anthony Edwards scored 27 points to lift the Minnesota Timberwolves out of a mid-series slump and deliver a faultless 115-70 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, forcing a Game 7 in this nail-biting playoff clash.
Jaden McDaniels contributed 21 points and lockdown defence, while Mike Conley scored 13 points in his return from injury. Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid combined for 38 rebounds and worked tirelessly to limit NBA MVP Nikola Jokic to a modest 22 points.
Jamal Murray struggled again, scoring only 10 points on 4-for-18 shooting for the Nuggets, whose bench was outscored 36-9 – seven of those scores coming in the last five minutes. The Wolves reserves launched a 24-0 run in the fourth quarter to establish a 49-point advantage, building on the starters' 20-0 surge in the first period.
Aaron Gordon scored 12 points and eight rebounds for Denver Nuggets, who shot 7 for 36 from three and trailed by at least 17 points for the last 31 minutes of the game. The Wolves limited the Nuggets to 14 points in the first quarter, the league's second-lowest total this playoffs, behind only Miami (12 points) in a Game 3 defeat to Boston in the first round.
Decisive game on Sunday
In the third quarter, he converted a steal into a fast break, then used two crossover dribbles to get Michael Porter Jr. in the air and dunk over him. A few minutes later, he drove past Porter, causing a foul and landing hard on his back. The Wolves requested a timeout to allow Edwards extra time to collect his breath, and when he returned to the court on time, the "MVP!" shouts erupted.
For the Wolves, McDaniels' offence is usually a benefit, but he can't be as quiet as he was in the first five games, scoring 35 points. He was all over the floor this time, hitting 3 for 5 from deep and mixing in some well-timed dunks to energize the fans.
There will be a decisive game on Sunday in Denver to determine who will play in the Western Conference finals.
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