Game 7 is here for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves used a defense that made them the NBA's stingiest team during the regular season, defeating the Denver Nuggets 115-70 in Game 6 on Thursday to keep their season alive. Game 7 is scheduled for Sunday in Denver (time TBA).
The margin of victory was the second-largest for a team facing elimination in NBA history.
Anthony Edwards, who contributed 27 points in the win, looked ready for his first Game 7 of his career. Minnesota outscored the Nuggets by 43 points while he was on the floor, a franchise playoff record.
Throughout the game, they successfully turned the tide of the series around. The Nuggets entered Thursday having won their last three games, with the close game 5 most memorable. The Timberwolves needed a lift and they got it from the raucous Target Center crowd.
That crowd got what they wanted early. After several minutes of back-and-forth, the Timberwolves went on a 27-2 run to build a lead that never dipped below double digits. The game wasn't over at that point, but the Nuggets were trailing for the first time since their lopsided losses in Games 1 and 2.
Denver tried to adjust by changing its lineup to start the second quarter. Normally, league MVP Nikola Jokic would sit on the bench to rest at the start of the second and fourth quarters, but he was there when the game resumed. The move paid off in the short term, cutting a 17-point lead at the start of the frame to 11 points.
The Timberwolves fought back with a 13-0 run to take back control and ended the first half with a buzzer-beater from Jaden McDaniel.
The lead never dipped below 19 points in the second half, but the Timberwolves got a different kind of scare late in the third quarter when Edwards went down hard with a foul. He remained face down on the court for more than a minute, barely moving, but remained in the game and didn't appear to be limping much.
A few minutes later, the Timberwolves crowd chanted “Wolves in Seven” as the team went on a 24-0 run to extend their lead to 49 points.
Can the Timberwolves overcome the Nuggets in Game 7?
The Timberwolves will have a different atmosphere on Sunday.
Thursday's game was impressive, but Minnesota will be riding the team that is the defending champion and league MVP. The Nuggets have already shown they can bounce back from disappointing losses in this series, going from a 26-point loss in Game 2 to a 27-point victory in Game 3.
A hostile crowd in Denver will face a team with plenty of playoff experience, but this series will be defined by wild swings of fortune. Obviously, the Timberwolves shouldn't regret beating the Nuggets by 45 points, but they should be well aware that their Game 6 performance won't mean much if the ball turns again.
