Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Game 7 results

• The Wolves extended their offensive thwarting any move by the Nuggets to win Game 7
• It was a tight match where the Nuggets fought bravely
• But Timberwolves proved too strong of a competitor

Sunday night’s Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Game 7 match ended the latter’s hopes of defending their championship title.

The Wolves extended their offensive thwarting any move by the Nuggets to win Game 7 98-90. It’s been interesting to watch the team in its previous games with the Nuggets.

Although it was a tight match, it was a hard stake as both teams played lethally but as it is; every game must have a winner and a loser. In this case, Denver Nuggets returned to base crest-fallen but they did their best.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Game 7

The Nuggets had a powerful start and it was giving inklings of winning the game. Playing on home ground – Ball Arena – also motivated them with fans powering them up in a big way.

Nikola Jokić positioned himself and he took up his centre role to crush their opponents who had triumphed in Game 6 115-70.

The Nuggets effectively shut off Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards and built up a 20-point lead in the second half.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets. Photo/Yahoo Sports

Nevertheless, the Wolves managed to pull off the biggest halftime comeback a historical second-round series of NBA playoffs.  That’s despite a generally dismal offensive performance in the first 24 minutes of the game where the Nuggets shone all the way.

It was short-lived as the reigning champions were taken aback by the Timberwolves’ stunning comeback in the semifinals.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Game 7 final verdict would later come with an impressive 60-37 score against the Nuggets to take the win home.

How Did Timberwolves Win Game 7?

Both the Nuggets and the Wolves picked their pace after starting the game on an incredibly slow and defensive first half. They shot only 6-of-24 from the field and the game’s losers sort of took off.

Denver Nuggets eventually went on an 18-3 run at the conclusion of the first half and the beginning of the second, seizing complete control of the game.

During that time, they prevented the Timberwolves from making a field goal for over five minutes. They also kept them scoreless for the last two minutes of the first half, giving them a 15-point advantage.

That was Jokić’s fifteenth double-double, while Edwards had only made one of his seven field goal attempts.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets. Photo/CBS News

For some reason, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ offence picked up steam in the third quarter after remaining flat in the first half. They went on a 19-3 rally after trailing the Nuggets by 20 points and prevented them from making a field goal for over six minutes.

Finally, Jokic and his other team players missed 13 of its next 16 shots to close out the third quarter. Despite going on a terrible shooting run to begin the game, Edwards surprised everyone by making a ridiculous step-back 3-pointer over Aaron Gordon.

He closed the gap to just one point at the end of the half and it concluded a 28–9 run. That wasn’t the end for the Timberwolves.

They maintained their lead over the Nuggets long into the fourth quarter. Rudy Gobert even made a fadeaway jumper that went in.

Naz Reid of Minnesota Timberwolves. Photo/ MMatt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Naz Reid then made an appearance to end the evening. In the closing minutes, he scored seven points for the Timberwolves with a stunning put-back dunk over Jokić.

A few seconds later, he assisted Edwards on a fast-break 3-pointer. Suddenly, the Timberwolves took a 30-point lead and were in total control of the game.

According to Edwards, it was a collective team effort that Sunk the Nuggets. They outscored the Nuggets by two to six, and it needed a collective effort from the whole team to defeat Denver.

Wolves’ All-Star player Karl-Anthony Towns led the charge and put on his best game in his nine-year career.

The Nuggets historically led by at least 15 points at halftime of Game 7 but still lost. Beyond this history, they set a dull one as the fifth consecutive defending champion to miss out on the conference finals.

With this victory, the Timberwolves will advance to their first Western Conference Finals in 20 years. Additionally, the Timberwolves have a perfect 2-0 record in Game 7 history.