Timberwolves Swarming Defense Leads 20-Point Comeback to Dethrone the Nuggets

The best way to describe the Timberwolves' win tonight in Denver is a total team win.

The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a stunning comeback, defeating the reigning champion Denver Nuggets 98-90 in Game 7 of their second-round NBA playoff series on Sunday night. The Wolves went on a 54-24 run in the second half to erase a 20-point deficit, advancing to the Western Conference finals, where they'll face the Mavericks.

The star of the game was the Timberwolves swarming second-half defense, which held the Nuggets to just 37 points.

Clutch fourth-quarter performances from Rudy Gobert, Anthony Edwards, and 2024 Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid were crucial in the victory. Despite brilliant efforts from Nikola Jokic, who had 34 points and 19 rebounds, and Jamal Murray, who scored 35 points, the Nuggets were unable to hold off Minnesota's surge and are now headed home.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 23 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Anthony Edwards added 16 points, with 12 of those coming in the second half, along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Jayden McDaniels finished with 21 points.

"I think if we played that team a hundred times, it'd be 50-50," Denver coach Michael Malone said after Saturday's practice. "You just have two really talented teams [that are separated by] depending upon the day, who gets hot, who's making shots."

The Wolves play the Dallas Mavericks for the right to represent the West in the NBA Finals.

"I would say it's another step forward," Wolves coach Chris Finch said before the game when asked to sum up his team's season. "We're trying to build something here, you know?"