Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets, 98-90. Game recap, scores, highlights, stats.

In a brilliant Game 7 in Minnesota on Sunday night, Anthony Edwards overcame an ineffective start as the Timberwolves rallied from a 20-point second-half deficit to defeat the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets 98-90.

Thanks in large part to Edwards, who finished with 16 points, 8 boards, and 7 assists after starting the game with just 4 points, no rebounds, and 3 assists, the Timberwolves erased a 15-point halftime deficit, the biggest comeback in an NBA playoff Game 7. His 2-for-10 3-point shooting percentage and 6-of-24 overall shooting performance belied his effectiveness.

Over and over, Edwards stopped Jamal Murray as Minnesota regained control late in the game. Murray finished with 35 points, having scored 24 points at the half.

Edwards dribbled the ball upcourt as the final seconds passed, taking the opportunity to say goodbye to the surprised fans at Ball Arena, where the Nuggets had the second-best record in the league with 33-8 this season, but where the Wolves had won three of the four games this series.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels both scored 23 points to help the Wolves advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in precisely 20 years. Starting on Wednesday night, they will play the Dallas Mavericks at Target Centre.

Denver’s lead increased to 58-38 after Murray’s three-pointer with 10:50 remaining in the third quarter, capping the Nuggets’ explosive start that saw them jump out to a 53-38 lead at the half. In order to get back into the game, the Wolves turned to their defence, which is the most stingy in the NBA. They finished the quarter on a 28-9 run, pulling ahead 67-66 going into the fourth quarter.

With a basket to open the fourth quarter, Gobert gave the Wolves their first lead since the first quarter. Towns committed his fifth foul, but NBA Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid was outstanding on both ends of the court to keep Minnesota ahead.

With three minutes remaining in a pivotal sequence that began with Minnesota leading 85-82, Reid scored two free throws, dunks, and then set up Edwards for a game-winning 3-pointer to put the Wolves up 92-82. Murray made 13 of 27 attempts for 35 points after going 4 for 18 in the Nuggets’ 115-70 loss in Game 6, the most points a reigning champion has ever given up in the playoffs.

Jokic contributed 34 points and 19 rebounds, but the two players had little assistance from the other Denver players as none of them scored in double figures.

Exactly twenty years had passed since the Timberwolves defeated Sacramento in the second round, and this was their first Game 7 since then. They only made it to the conference finals once before. The Nuggets were attempting to make their third trip to the conference finals in the previous six seasons, while they were participating in their fifth Game 7.

The Nuggets are now the fifth reigning champion team to miss the conference finals in a row. Golden State was the last team to accomplish it in 2019, when the Warriors advanced to the NBA Finals before falling to Toronto.