Timberwolves historic making game seven comeback

IMAGE: David Zalubowski / The Associated Press

Steady poise: Karl Anthony-Towns had a fantastic series not only offensively, but defensively for his one-on-one matchup against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Seven stunning games of twists and turns ultimately led to a mesmerising series between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The seventh and deciding game marked 20 years since the Timberwolves last won its only conference semifinals series against the Sacramento Kings led by Kevin Garnett.

In a stunning comeback, Minnesota is through to the Conference Finals to take on the Dallas Mavericks.

Marking this feat, the Timberwolves are the only team in NBA history to rally from a 20-point deficit in a game seven.

Superstar Anthony Edwards didn't have his best shooting night, going only 6 of 24 and facing double-teams, but his playmaking was impeccable. He delivered the game's biggest play when he buried a right corner three to put Minnoesta up 10 (92-82) with 3:07 left.

Jaden McDaniels (23 points) and Karl Anthony-Towns (23 points, 12 rebounds) were key contributors to the result.

After a scorching opening half, Jamal Murray went cold in the second half, only scoring 11 points with Edwards putting the clamps on him.

Nikola Jokic played all but a minute in the contest, and signs were clear he was starting to tire. Yet he finished with 34 points, 19 rebounds, and seven assists.

There is plenty of soul-searching for last year's champions about went awry after holding a 3-2 series lead.

But this is about Minnesota, who, behind head coach Chris Finch and stand-in head coach Micah Nori, schemed, devised, and executed a game plan that rattled the Nuggets.

1. Timberwolves triple towers contributions

Throughout this series, Karl Anthony-Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid played determining roles in containing Nikola Jokic.

Towns played gritty, hard-nosed defence on Jokic, bodying him up physically, not giving the three-time MVP room to bury him into the paint. 

Barring games three, four, and five, when Jokic had total command, schooling Gobert with finesse moves, bulldozing him like a two-tonne truck, Towns forced Jokic into difficult shots over him.

Playing Gobert off Jokic and having him as a paint roamer stifled what Denver wanted to implement offensively. Notably, the Jokic to Aaron Gordon lob plays, where Gordon is in the dunkers' spot or cutting from the baseline.

Back to Towns, he was instrumental in the opening half.

In a half where the Timberwolves couldn't generate quality offence, the former number-one pick patiently picked his spots, taking his time and using mismatches to his advantage.

Towns' playoff record has been a talking point, often criticised for going missing and not being aggressive.

But he silenced the doubters this series, averaging 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and three assists on 51% shooting and 39.4% from downtown.

Gobert's contributions, particularly in the series decider, were pivotal.

Jokic may have won the battle over him, but the four-time defensive player of the year had the last laugh in the final 12 minutes.

Not known for his free throws, he hit seven of nine, including all four foul shots, with the game hanging in the balance. 

Remarkably, no one predicted he would pull a rabbit out of the hat from a timeout. With only five seconds on the shot clock, Nickeil Alexander-Walker couldn't get the inbounds to Edwards. Instead, the feed went to Gobert, who pulled off a Jokic-esque turnaround jumper - a rarity for Gobert.

Naz Reid, who's been exceptional this series, made several big-time plays.

After Towns picked up his fifth foul with 6:21 remaining, Reid was huge with several intangible plays.

He guarded Jokic exceptionally throughout, coming up with a block without fouling and, on another play, getting in the passing lane to disrupt Murray's inside pass to Jokic.

However, these two plays weren't the only central ones from the Sixth Man of the Year. 

Off Edwards' missed triple, he came from the left baseline to parachute his way for a one-handed putback dunk. Moments later, after a Mike Conley steal, he made the kick-out pass to Edwards for an uncontested right corner three.

The trio played out of their skins and are the many reasons for the side's success in prevailing to the Conference Finals for the first time in two decades.

2. A comeback to remember

Sports deliver an essence by producing some of the most unbelievable comebacks.

Throughout the years, there have been triumphs through adversity for the ages.

These include the Cleveland Cavaliers' 3-1 comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets rallying twice from 3-1 deficits against the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2020 Bubble.

But in recent times, coming back from large differentials in a game seven is even sweeter.

The Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from an 18-point opening-half deficit against the Orlando Magic to prevail. And in 2000, the Los Angeles Lakers stormed home from a 15-point deficit to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The contrasts in Minnesota's offence in the first and second halves were night and day.

Anthony Edwards only attempted seven field goals in the opening 24 minutes. 

The ball movement was running in the mud.

At one point, the Timberwolves were only shooting 34% overall.

When Murray sank an uncontested three to put Denver ahead 20 (58-38), the writing seemed to be on the wall until the unwavering Minnesota found its footing.

What was apparent, especially from Edwards, was his calmness in facilitating the right reads despite facing double teams. 

Within seven minutes, a nervous tension filled Denver.

It was the Nuggets starting to miss shots and miscue plays.

Edwards' isolation triple to trim the margin to a solitary point turning into the fourth doesn't get enough credit.

The dangerous Murray-Jokic two-man game couldn't fire in the final stanza.

As iconic broadcaster Kevin Harlan said after Jokic's missed triple that would've brought Denver within seven "Tired shots".

Ultimately, the heavy workload wore the Nuggets down, with Gordon playing 42 minutes, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope playing 40 minutes, and Jamal Murray playing 43 minutes.

But Minnesota's vice-like defence was the reason for the Nuggets coming to a halt when it mattered most, showing their resolve in one of the toughest arenas to play at.

3. Another defending champion falls

Not since 2018 has a team won back-to-back NBA titles.

Of course, that team is the Golden State Warriors.

Since then, there have been five separate championship winners - Toronto Raptors (2019), Los Angeles Lakers (2020), Milwaukee Bucks (2021), Golden State Warriors (2022), and the Denver Nuggets (2023).

In just over a month, there'll be a sixth separate champion - the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves or the Dallas Mavericks.

After notching its third 50-win season in the Michael Malone era, where did things halt in their quest for back-to-back titles?

The most significant being the subtractions of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, both components of the Nuggets' second unit.

It became glaring the bench would take a hit without them.

Peyton Watson leapt the rotation in the regular season for his defence, only to become expendable in games four, five and seven in the Minnesota series, mainly because of his non-threat three-point shooting.

Eventually, the Nuggets played essentially a six-man rotation in game seven, as Jokic played 47 minutes, running on fumes with the substantial workload put upon him.

With the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) taking shape, this comes a critical time in how Denver constructs its second unit depth.

Chrisitan Braun, Peyton Watson, and Vlatko Cancar have a team option on their contracts, whilst veterans Reggie Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have player options.

The Nuggets front office led by Calvin Booth has an intriguing off-season ahead.