Timberwolves eliminate – Missing key names, Minnesota held off Denver and won 110-98 to send Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets packing.
The Timberwolves turned Game 6 into a statement: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are heading home after Minnesota’s 110-98 win at home.
Minnesota arrived shorthanded, with Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, Donte DiVincenzo and Kyle Anderson unavailable, yet the group still delivered.. Jaden McDaniels carried the night with 32 points. 10 rebounds and two steals. playing the full 45 minutes and making the kind of late sequence that settles playoff nerves.. Terrence Shannon Jr.. added 24 points, while Julius Randle finished with 18, and Rudy Gobert chipped in with a near triple-double line.
Insight: When a team can absorb multiple absences and still win its most important possessions in the fourth, it signals depth and playoff maturity, not just good timing.
For Denver. Jokic posted a near triple-double of 28 points. nine rebounds and 10 assists. doing what superstars do when the game gets tight.. Cameron Johnson scored 27 points. but Denver’s offense stumbled. and Jamal Murray struggled to find consistency. including an off shooting night.. Minnesota also imposed itself on the glass, winning the rebounding battle decisively and turning those advantages into extra scoring opportunities.
The game swung in stages.. After Minnesota built a 57-50 edge by halftime and carried momentum into the fourth with a lead. Denver tightened the contest late.. The Nuggets cut the deficit to 100-97 with just over two minutes remaining. but Minnesota answered immediately with Shannon’s three-point play to push the score back to 103-97.. McDaniels then put distance on the lead with a late jumper. and his defensive stop followed by another clutch play helped seal the win.
Insight: In playoffs, momentum changes fast, but execution on both ends during the final minutes is what separates comebacks from collapse.
This was also a defining contrast in the series storyline.. Denver had the early advantage with a Game 1 win. then Minnesota closed the series despite losing multiple key contributors from its rotation.. The Wolves’ ability to keep pressure on Jokic, limit easy rhythms, and still generate offense across several scorers proved decisive.
Now Minnesota moves on to the next round, setting up a Western Conference semifinals matchup against the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama.
Insight: That next matchup will test whether Minnesota’s defensive intensity and late-game composure can remain as sharp against a different style and another elite playmaker.