Minnesota defeats Denver.
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 98-90 in Game 7 of the second round of the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs on Tuesday (Feb. 20) at the Pepsi Bowl Arena in Denver.
Last season, Minnesota added Rudy Gobert (216 cm, C) to its “Twin Towers” roster. However, they lost to Denver in the first round of the playoffs.
This season, it was a different story. The players have been clicking. They played solid defense and finished third in the West in the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs, they easily defeated the Phoenix Suns.
Their second-round opponent was Denver. Minnesota won both Game 1 and Game 2. They then dropped Games 3, 4, and 5, but bounced back to win Game 6 to send the series to a best-of-seven series.
Minnesota got off to a shaky start in Game 7. Denver’s Jamal Murray (191 cm, G) came alive. Murray scored 24 points in the first half alone. In contrast, Minnesota’s ace Anthony Edwards was held to just four points. Even with Karl-Anthony Towns (211 cm, C) on offense, the deficit grew to 15 points.
But Minnesota didn’t give up easily. Towns took center stage in the third quarter. And Edwards, who had been quiet, came alive. With a strong defense that held the opponent to 14 points, Minnesota was able to close the gap.
Kobe’s basket 12 seconds into the fourth quarter added to the lead. Denver began to pull away, but Minnesota responded with poise, especially with Kobe, who had been ineffective on offense, hitting fadeaway jumpers and free throws at key moments. Add to that the contributions of Najee Reed (206 cm, F-C), and Minnesota won the game.
It was an evenly matched performance. On defense, the Gophers defended Nikola Jokic (211 cm, C), sometimes with help defense, sometimes with 카지노사이트 individual defense. He also scored in key moments to help seal the victory. He ended up with 13 points, nine rebounds, two blocked shots, and one steal.
“It feels really good,” Gobert told Clutch Points, “It’s a great feeling. It’s a thrilling win,” Kobe told Clutch Point.
“Denver is the defending champion. It means a lot to beat them. We like to play against big teams. And we get a tremendous feeling when we beat them. It’s a thrill to beat a top team,” he added.
Minnesota was a perennial underdog in the NBA. But with Gobert, Edwards, and Towns, the Timberwolves are in the midst of their best era. They are headed to the Conference Finals for the first time since the 2003-2004 season.
However, Gobert said, “Our goal is not the conference finals. We want to win. Our goal is to win a championship,” Kobe said.
In their quest for their first championship, Minnesota will face the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. It will be interesting to see if the Timberwolves, who beat Denver, can make franchise history by beating Dallas.