Unlike Indiana's fireworks at Madison Square Garden in the other Game 7 of the evening, the Nuggets and the Wolves start their Game 7 with a cumulative 6/24 on shots! An 8-0 gives the Wolves a seven-point lead but Denver ends the first quarter with a 19-7 lead, behind 13 points and three winning shots from Jamal Murray (35 points), to take the lead (24-19). .
Murray and Anthony Edwards (16 points on 6/24 shots, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) change roles at the start of the match compared to Game 6. The Wolves star is clumsy, hesitates in the face of the Nuggets' systematic two-handed shots , and Minnesota's offense is at a standstill. Denver then took the opportunity to drive home the point and take a 13-point lead thanks to Michael Porter Jr (32-19).
A 3/4 free throw from Rudy Gobert (13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) ends five minutes without scoring for the Wolves, and five points in a row from Jaden McDaniels (23 points) put Minnesota back in ambush (34- 29). Jamal Murray then resumes his festival, he scores 7 points in a row to launch a 9-0 for Denver which puts the Wolves' lead back under water (43-29). Karl-Anthony Towns (23 points, 12 rebounds) tries to limit the damage but Nikola Jokic (34 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists), until now serving the collective, dominates the offensive rebound and pushes the gap to +15 at the break (53-38).
Wolves come back from nowhere
A new 3-pointer from Jamal Murray puts Minnesota at -20 and the Nuggets seem to be heading towards an easy victory (58-38). However, the Wolves are not giving up. Rudy Gobert wakes up their defense, keeping Denver silent for six minutes, and Minnesota gets back in the game. Karl-Anthony Towns goes for points in the paint, Jaden McDaniels and Mike Conley hit the mark from afar, and a dunk on the counterattack from Anthony Edwards punctuates a 21-3 which brings them back on the heels of the Nuggets (61-59 ) ! Nikola Jokic stops the bleeding but a new dunk from Edwards followed by a 3-pointer puts the Wolves within a small point of Denver before the last quarter (68-67)!
Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid (11 points), and Mike Conley drive the point home and put Minnesota in front for the first time since 19-18 at the end of the first quarter (77-72). So at 0/7 at 3-points, Nikola Jokic hits the mark twice in a row to revive his team but the Wolves, despite a KAT who receives his fifth foul, do not release the pressure. Reid and McDaniels against Jokic in the circle, and the best sixth man of the season keeps Minnesota at +5 in stride (85-80).
With less than five minutes to play, Jamal Murray returns to service. He scores two baskets from mid-distance but the Wolves do not panic. They responded with two offensive rebounds from the Gobert – Reid duo. Naz Reid continues by countering Jokic once again, before putting on a tap dunk which explodes the Wolves bench. In the process, an interception by Mike Conley leads to a 3-pointer from Edwards in the corner which puts Minnesota at +10 (92-82)!
Nikola Jokic may try everything, the Nuggets and their Ball Arena are KO standing. Another slap dunk, this time from Karl-Anthony Towns, sealed the victory for Minnesota. The reigning champions bite the dust and it is the Wolves who join the Mavs in the conference final!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Jamal Murray set the tone. Limited to 4/18 on shots during Game 6, the Nuggets leader took advantage of the two days of rest before Game 7 to find his legs and his rhythm. From the first minutes of the match, Murray attacked the Wolves defense. He scored 13 of his team's 24 points in the first quarter and 11 in the second quarter. He not only set the tone but it was he who launched a 16-0 run over the first two periods allowing Denver to pull away. He returned to the locker room with 24 points on 8/15 shots, equaling his best total in the series established during Game 3.
– Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards, and two-man catches in the first half. After six games, the two defenses used the same strategy against the opposing star: take two. Nikola Jokic attacked this defense with quick decisions to get the ball out and provide open shots for his teammates. He also knew his scoring would be limited so he redoubled his efforts to control the rebound. Opposite, Anthony Edwards suffered from Denver's defense. He carried the ball too much, making Minnesota's offense frozen and making it easier for their opponents. Edwards also did not vary his way of attacking. He never took the ball in motion, he set very few screens for his teammates, and Denver managed to limit the Wolves to 38 points in the first half, their fewest total of the season .
– Minnesota’s 43-17 which restarted the match. Trailing by 20 points with 10 minutes and 30 seconds left in the third quarter, the Wolves will completely reverse the trend and put the Nuggets' backs against the wall. Minnesota's defense limits Denver to 3/16 shots to end the third period and this series of stops allows them to regain their rhythm on offense. With Anthony Edwards still inside, it is Karl-Anthony Towns who will launch the Wolves revolt. They pass a 21-3 to come back in ambush and follow with a 22-14 to take a six point lead at the start of the fourth. This reversal of the situation puts the Nuggets KO on their feet and will allow Minnesota to achieve the biggest comeback in history in a Game 7 (-20).
– Karl-Anthony Towns, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid make the difference. Despite an Anthony Edwards at 6/24 on shots, the Wolves achieved the hold-up of the season last night thanks to the second knives. Karl-Anthony Towns was the best Wolf despite his foul problem late in the match. Jaden McDaniels scored 10 of his 23 points after the break. Rudy Gobert scored 8 points in the last quarter, including a 4/5 on free throws and an unexpected fadeaway at the 24-second buzzer. And Naz Reid took over from Towns on Jokic with two blocks, but also 8 points including four after offensive rebounds which were decisive. Opposite, no Nugget other than Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have exceeded the 7 point mark. It was thanks to their teamwork that Minnesota won the second half 60 to 37 to reach the conference final for the first time since 2004!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
