Timberwolves stay alive, force do-or-die Game 7

THE Minnesota Timberwolves stayed alive in the NBA Western Conference semifinals with a 115-70 rout of Denver Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday night (Friday in the Philippines) at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Anthony Edwards recovered from a subpar showing as he finished with 27 points, including four three-point conversions, to go with four rebounds, four assists, and three steals as the Timberwolves tied the series at 3-3.

Jaden McDaniels stepped up with 21 markers, Mike Conley returned from one-game absence to tally 13 points, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Naz Reid ended with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

After being down 2-9 early in the game, the Timberwolved unloaded a crippling 20-0 scoring run behind Edwards, Towns, and Rudy Gobert to establish a 31-14 lead.

The Nuggets threatened to within 12 points early in the second quarter, but the Nuggets pulled away anew with connections from Edwards as the lead reached 59-40 at the half.

Minnesota widened the lead further in the second half with outside conversions from McDaniels, Conley, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as the lead reached 45 points in the fourth period.

“Guys just believing in themselves,” Edwards said on the Timberwolves’ change of mindset heading into must-win Game 6. “I think the last three games we were all down ourselves.”

“I just shoot it every chance I get (here in Game 6), because last game they took the ball out of my hands,” he added, regarding the tough defense of the Nuggets on him in Game 5.

Nikola Jokić finished with 22 points and nine rebounds, Aaron Gordon added 18 points and eight rebounds, and Jamal Murray was held to 10 points for the defending champions Nuggets.

The winner-take-all Game 7 between the Nuggets and the Timberwolves is scheduled on Sunday night (Monday morning in the Philippines) at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado./PN

BOX SCORE:

MINNESOTA 115 — Edwards 27, McDaniels 21, Conley 13, Towns 10, Reid 10, Alexander-Walker 9, Gobert 8, Garza 8, Anderson 4, Morris 3, McLaughlin 2, Moore 0, Minott 0.

DENVER 70 — Jokić 22, Gordon 12, Murray 10, Caldwell-Pope 9, Porter 8, Braun 2, Strawter 2, Nnaji 2, Pickett 2, Watson 1, Holiday 0, Jackson 0, Jordan 0, Tyson 0.

Quarterscores: 31-14, 59-40, 86-61, 115-70.