DENVER — The Minnesota Timberwolves’ historic 20-point comeback over the Denver Nuggets in Sunday’s Sport 7 to earn a visit to the Western Convention finals really began 13 months in the past at bar a couple of miles away from Ball Area.
The Timberwolves had simply misplaced to the Nuggets within the first spherical of the playoffs in April 2023, with Anthony Edwards’ potential game-tying 3 arising empty as time expired in Sport 5. Afterward, Edwards and a few teammates went to a cocktail lounge, Neglect Me Not, within the Cherry Creek neighborhood, with their chartered flight again house not scheduled to depart till the following morning.
Of the entire gin joints in the entire cities in the entire world, Denver level guard Jamal Murray — recent off a 35-point exhibiting within the closeout sport — simply so occurred to stroll into the identical bar because the Timberwolves.
And Edwards, a budding star but to have the breakout postseason that has turned him right into a bona fide famous person this spring, had a message to ship to Murray.
“He was speaking s—,” Edwards instructed ESPN as he walked down the ramp towards the workforce bus after his membership’s 98-90 victory on Sunday. “He was telling Mike [Conley], ‘I am sick of you, you’ll be able to’t guard me,’ and all that.
“I instructed him, ‘We’ll be again. You will see us once more once we’re totally loaded.'”
Edwards’ declaration got here to fruition Sunday.
The Timberwolves, who trailed by as many as 20 factors within the third quarter, stormed again to finish the most important comeback in a Sport 7 up to now 25 postseasons to dethrone the defending champion Nuggets.
“It reveals who we’re,” Edwards mentioned following the victory. “As soon as we actually lock in on the defensive finish, man, we’re a hell of a workforce to beat.”
In the meantime, the Nuggets turned the fifth consecutive defending NBA champion to fail to achieve the convention finals — and the primary workforce in league historical past to guide by 15 or extra at halftime of a Sport 7 and go on to lose.
Simply as Edwards proclaimed, it was a whole workforce effort that took Denver down, with six Timberwolves scoring in double digits as in comparison with simply two for the Nuggets. It was wanted too, with Edwards struggling via a 6-for-24 capturing evening.
Timberwolves four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Cities led the best way, handing over essentially the most spectacular efficiency of his nine-year profession.
Cities, the franchise’s No. 1 choose in 2015 and the longest-tenured member of the workforce, scored 23 factors with 12 rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Extra importantly, he gave about as efficient a one-on-one defensive effort in opposition to Denver’s three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, as anybody could possibly be anticipated to provide.
“I believe you see how at peace and pleased he’s proper now,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch mentioned of Cities. “He needed to belief that he was by no means going to be marginalized. All younger gamers all the time suppose they’ll do all of it by themselves, however on this league, no person can.
“I could not be extra pleased and proud for him. Simply because I believe he is confronted lots of unfair criticism with regards to the postseason at occasions.”
Jokic completed with 34 factors and 19 rebounds however shot 13-for-28 from the sector and 2-for-10 on 3-pointers. Murray scored 35 on 13-for-27 capturing with 3 assists and 4 turnovers.
It was Cities’ fifth 20-point effort of the postseason, with all 5 of them approaching the street.
“It was powerful, man, as a result of I could not discover myself, my rhythm tonight,” Edwards mentioned. “So, I simply needed to belief my teammates. … I simply needed to make the fitting performs all through the remainder of the sport. I did that, and my teammates made photographs. Huge shoutout to these guys.”
The Timberwolves used a 32-9 run from the ten:50 mark of the third quarter to 11:14 of the fourth to wrest management of the sport from the Nuggets. Whereas Edwards began simply 1-for-9 from the sector, he discovered extra success after halftime, scoring 9 factors within the third, together with a step-back 3 to beat the quarter buzzer. Rudy Gobert, Minnesota’s four-time Defensive Participant of the Yr, added an surprising offensive punch within the fourth quarter, scoring eight of his 13 factors within the closing body — together with a miraculous, arcing turnaround bounce shot — after beginning the sport 1-for-5.
“I believe when Rudy hit the turnaround, I used to be like, ‘Yeah, we in all probability acquired them,'” Edwards mentioned when requested when he really felt momentum had turned in Minnesota’s favor. “Huge shoutout to Huge Ru, hit the turnaround on their a–.”
Within the second half, Gobert helped the Timberwolves maintain the Nuggets to only 37 factors on 35.9% capturing (19% from 3) and outrebound Denver 29-15.
“It feels nice,” Gobert mentioned. “Beating a workforce like they’re, an unbelievable workforce, a championship workforce, with the perfect participant on the planet, it feels good.”
Minnesota went forward by as many as 10 within the fourth on an Edwards nook 3 with 3:05 remaining, inflicting the Nuggets to name timeout as Edwards screamed and jumped for pleasure, hugging a courtside fan. A loud contingent of touring Minnesota followers crammed the world with a “Let’s go Wolves!” chant to punctuate the second.
“That was dope,” mentioned Minnesota middle Naz Reid, who continued to shine in his Sixth Man of the Yr function with 11 factors off the bench. “We had our personal part, and so they had been going in opposition to the entire stadium.”
The Timberwolves’ 17-year veteran, Mike Conley, chipped in 10 factors and eight rebounds and broke an 0-4 profession mark in Sport 7s. Jaden McDaniels, whom Edwards known as the workforce’s MVP of the playoffs up to now, scored 23 factors on 7-for-10 capturing to go together with 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block.
The twentieth assembly of the 2 groups between the common season and the playoffs because the begin of the 2022-23 marketing campaign turned out to be a traditional — and essentially the most compelling sport of the sequence. (Solely two of the primary six video games of this second-round sequence had been determined by fewer than 10 factors, whereas three video games concerned a closing margin of 25-plus factors.)
“That was a hell of a sequence,” Denver coach Michael Malone mentioned. “They gave us all we may deal with, and so they ended up successful Sport 7 on our house courtroom, which is a tricky one to swallow. However we’ll be again.”
Minnesota improved to 2-0 in Sport 7 in franchise historical past and is the NBA’s solely undefeated franchise in Sport 7.
And Cities identified that Sunday occurred to be Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett’s forty eighth birthday, making it all of the extra applicable that Minneapolis goes to occasion prefer it’s 2004. For the primary time in 20 years, when Garnett & Co. misplaced to the Los Angeles Lakers in six video games, the Wolves are again within the convention finals.
“I simply need these guys to grasp. I do not suppose they perceive what they simply did,” the 36-year-old Conley mentioned. “Engaging in what they’ve and attending to the West Convention finals is a good alternative. Do not take it without any consideration. Have fun the second now, however be able to go. You’ve got one other workforce ready for you. All people’s in the best way of your targets, so it’s a must to be able to go.”
The Timberwolves will face the Dallas Mavericks for the fitting to characterize the West within the NBA Finals. Minnesota will host Sport 1 on Wednesday.
The Wolves opened as -150 favorites to win the sequence over the Mavs, who test in at +130, per ESPN BET odds.
