Denver had a secret to success. At halftime of Game 7 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray had 24 points and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic had 13 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, more than half a triple-double. achieved.
The Timberwolves have had trouble. Explosive star Anthony Edwards was held to just three points, and while Edwards and Mike Conley combined for 1-of-14 from the field in the first half, neither scored in the second quarter and Minnesota trailed by 20 points early in the third quarter.
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The Timberwolves erased that deficit, and an inspired comeback ensued.
Minnesota defeated defending champion Denver 98-90 in the Western Conference semifinal series, securing a new NBA championship for the sixth straight season.
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Edwards scored enough points, including a corner 3-pointer to give the Timberwolves a 92-82 lead with 3:05 left in the fourth. He had 16 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Edwards was just 6-of-24 shooting, including 2-of-10 from 3-point range. But he had help.
Karl-Anthony Towns contributed with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Jayden McDaniels had 23 points, six rebounds and two steals.
Rudy Gobert had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Naz Reid, the Sixth Man of the Year, had 11 points.
Minnesota, which boasted the best defense in the league during the regular season, increased its defensive presence in the second half, holding the Nuggets to just 37 points in the final two quarters and falling behind 58-38 in the third quarter. However, they outscored Denver 60-32.
The Timberwolves are the third team to overcome an 11-point lead or more on the road to win a Game 7, and they overcame the largest halftime lead in Game 7.
By the end of the fourth quarter, the finish had everyone in the Mile High City holding their breath.
Travel is important. What matters is how you get from there to here. But in the NBA Playoffs, the destination is what matters most. The Timberwolves will advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2004 and will face the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
It will be another series featuring young stars such as Edwards and Mavs All-NBA guard Luka Doncic.
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets was an interesting series. Minnesota won the first two games of the series on the road, but Denver won the next three and Minnesota forced a Game 7.
Road teams won both Game 7 games on Sunday. Indiana defeated New York State earlier in the day at Madison Square Garden.
If they had told Denver that Jokic would have 34 points and 19 rebounds, Murray would have 35 points and Edwards would struggle offensively, Denver would have wanted to take a chance moving forward. But that's not how the game works.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Timberwolves knock Nuggets out of NBA playoffs with record Game 7 rally
