Short-handed Timberwolves finish off Nuggets, will face Spurs in Western Conference semifinals
The Timberwolves didn't have Anthony Edwards. But they did have Jaden McDaniels.
The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t need to be 100% to finish off the Denver Nuggets. Despite missing their starting backcourt and more, the T-Wolves beat Denver 110-98 in Game 6 on Thursday to end their first-round series. They will face the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals.
Minnesota certainly had to earn it. No team led by double-digits until the final minute of the game, which was also the sort where home-court advantage seemed to make a difference at Target Center. Anthony Edwards’ absence could have loomed large in crunch time, but then Jaden McDaniels stepped up.
There might not have been a more impactful player on the floor than McDaniels, who finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 0 turnovers while persistently bothering the Nuggets on defense. All of Minnesota’s top remaining players similarly performed as needed. Rudy Gobert had 10 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists while navigating Nikola Jokić duties.
Terrence Shannon Jr. had a breakout game with 24 points. Julius Randle had 18 points and 5 assists.
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