The Wolves dominated the Nuggets with a 45-point lead, pushing the series to a Game 7.
Aaron Gordon scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Nuggets. They only made 7 of 36 3-point attempts and were behind by a margin of at least 17 points for the final 31 minutes of the game.
“It’s always disappointing to lose by such a large margin in a playoff game. It’s definitely not a pleasant experience.”1 Related
The pivotal match to determine a spot in the finals of the Western Conference will take place in Denver on Sunday evening.
In Game 2, Murray, who had a poor shooting performance of 3-for-18, attempted various types of shots including leaners, fadeaways, and spot-up 3-pointers. He even missed a finger roll attempt from the baseline and was later outmatched by Naz Reid in the post, allowing the Wolves to take a 43-24 lead.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to break their losing streak and secure an outstanding 115-70 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night with the help of Anthony Edwards, who scored 27 points. As a result, the series is now tied at 3-3, setting up a Game 7 in this highly unpredictable playoff showdown.
The Wolves usually consider it a bonus to have McDaniels contributing on offense, but he cannot remain as uninvolved as he was in the first five games where he only scored a total of 35 points. In Thursday’s game, he was active in all areas of the court, making 3 out of 5 three-pointers and adding in some perfectly timed dunks to get the crowd excited.
Based on data from ESPN Stats & Information, the outcome of the Nuggets’ overwhelming defeat on Thursday night does not guarantee their loss in the future. In the history of the NBA, only five teams have lost a Game 6 by 30 or more points and went on to play a Game 7. Three of those teams were able to bounce back and win Game 7, with the most recent occurrence happening in 2018 when the Cleveland Cavaliers lost by 34 in the first round against the Indiana Pacers before ultimately winning the series.
McDaniels scored on a rebound from Reid’s missed 3-pointer right before halftime, giving them a significant lead of 59-40. This was a stark contrast to Murray’s impressive 55-foot shot at the end of the second quarter in Game 3, where he concluded an 8-0 run in just 20 seconds, which was crucial for that game.
Denver Nuggets player Jamal Murray had another difficult game, scoring only 10 points and making 4 out of 18 shots. The team’s bench only contributed 9 points, compared to the opposing team’s bench scoring 36 points. In the final five minutes, Murray managed to score 7 points. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ reserves had a strong showing in the fourth quarter, leading a 24-0 run and securing a huge 49-point lead. This was a continuation of the strong performance by the Timberwolves’ starters, who had led a 20-0 run in the first quarter.
Malone stated that we need to return home and resume playing with the same strategy that led us to win three consecutive games. He expressed certainty that we will be prepared to do so by Sunday.
During the third quarter, he quickly capitalized on a turnover by sprinting ahead and executing two crossover dribbles to deceive Michael Porter Jr. and successfully slam the ball into the basket. Shortly after, he skillfully maneuvered past Porter and was fouled, causing him to land forcefully on his back. The Wolves called a timeout to allow Edwards to recover, and upon returning to the court without any delay, “MVP!” chants erupted from the crowd.
Edwards, who scored 44 points in the previous Game 4 loss at Target Center, had the determined presence of a top player determined to not let go of the series. He tallied nine points during the 20-0 run and only needed nine shots to reach 19 points in the first half.ESPN News Services
During Game 5 in Denver, the Wolves struggled offensively as Conley was unable to play due to a sore calf muscle. However, with the 17-year veteran point guard back in the lineup, their half-court plays were much more fluid and well-managed.
Murray struggled to be effective against McDaniels and the top-ranking defense in the NBA, which bounced back after showing weaknesses in the last three games.
“We were hit multiple times by them,” stated Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “We have to acknowledge their efforts in keeping the series alive and forcing a game 7 in Denver.”
According to research from ESPN Stats & Information, the 45-point difference in score is the biggest margin of victory in playoff history against a defending champion. It is also the second-largest margin when facing elimination in NBA history. The Denver team was behind by a maximum of 50 points, their biggest deficit in any game in the last 25 seasons (regular season and playoffs).
At the beginning of the fourth quarter timeout when the bench was cleared, Edwards raised seven fingers to the cheering audience, anticipating what was about to happen.
In the opening quarter of their game, the Wolves limited the Nuggets to only 14 points. This was the second-lowest score recorded in the playoffs, with only Miami scoring less (12 points) in their Game 3 defeat against Boston in the first round.
Jaden McDaniels contributed 21 points and strong defensive play, while Mike Conley returned from an injury and added 13 points. Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid, the team’s big men, grabbed a total of 38 rebounds and put forth a determined effort to limit NBA MVP Nikola Jokic to just 22 points.
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