It’s a comeback that will go down in NBA history. Trailing by 15 points at halftime, the Timberwolves finally defeated the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday, May 19, in Denver (98-90) in Game 7 of the series. They thus eliminate the reigning NBA champions and will find Dallas in the conference final.
After a crushing victory in Game 6 (115-70), the Wolves managed to overcome the largest halftime point deficit in a Game 7 ever seen in the NBA. “I think our composure was the most important thing,” Anthony Edwards said. We were very calm throughout the match. »
The Timberwolves trailed by as many as 20 points early in the third quarter, but were able to regain their rhythm and cut the deficit to one point heading into the final quarter.
Nikola Jokic’s talent was not enough
Edwards, who scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half, said coach Chris Finch told him at halftime to “play faster.” Six players from the Minneapolis franchise scored at least 10 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns was the top scorer with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Jaden McDaniels added 21 points, and the regular season’s best defender, Frenchman Rudy Gobert, scored 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.
On the Denver side, regular season MVP Nikola Jokic gave his all with an authoritative double-double of 34 points and 19 rebounds, while point guard Jamal Murray led the Nuggets to scoring with 35 points. . But that wasn’t enough against Minnesota, which returned to the conference finals for the first time since 2004.