MINNEAPOLIS — Jaden McDaniels poured in 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Terrence Shannon Jr. added 24 points in a surprise start for the injury-hit Minnesota Timberwolves in a 110-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. The win wrapped up another hard-fought NBA playoff series between these rivals.
With their top three guards sidelined by injuries, the Timberwolves went big, relying on Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid to fuel a 64-40 edge in points in the paint and a 50-33 advantage on the boards.
“This is what you don’t really teach. This is about will. It’s about heart, and that’s how we were able to overcome this great challenge,” said Gobert, who finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
The No. 6 seed Timberwolves will open the second round at San Antonio on Monday. The second-seeded Spurs advanced past Portland in five games.
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Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Jamal Murray had a tough night against McDaniels’ defense, scoring just 12 points on 4-for-17 shooting. Cameron Johnson chipped in 27 points, but Denver went just 10-for-27 from three-point range, and it wasn’t enough against a fired-up Minnesota squad.
“I’m just happy it’s over, happy we were able to come out on top,” McDaniels said. “Stuff was said. I’m just happy we were all able to prove our point, get the win, and move on to the next round.”
Missing key creators like Ayo Dosunmu, Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves leaned on extra defense, energy and hustle. Shannon brought speed that Denver couldn’t contain on drives to the basket, while McDaniels was a force on both ends, embracing the matchup.
Shannon’s three-point play with 1:43 left pushed the lead to six, and McDaniels delivered the clincher with a smooth 19-foot midrange jumper to make it a seven-point game with 1:06 remaining. He then picked off a pass from Jokic to seal the victory.
Since defeating the Timberwolves in five games en route to the 2023 title, the Nuggets have struggled to find consistent support for Jokic. They forced Game 6 with a strong Game 5 win, but Minnesota’s defense once again shut down the MVP and limited Murray’s impact.
McDaniels hounded Murray around the perimeter, and Gobert used his length and timing to bother Jokic inside. The rivalry added extra motivation throughout, especially after more injuries hit the Wolves.