Minnesota Timberwolves oust Denver Nuggets; Timberwolves to play in finals 

BULAN, Sorsogon— For the first time in 20 years, the Minnesota Timberwolves have advanced to the Western Conference finals. They defeated the Denver Nuggets, 98-90, in Game 7 of the semi-finals at Ball Arena on Monday, May 20 (PHT).   

The Timberwolves overcame a 15-point halftime deficit. They made the largest comeback in a Game 7 in NBA playoff history. This comeback was led by Anthony Edwards, who had only four points, no rebounds, and three assists at halftime but finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.  

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 23 points and 11 rebounds. He helped Minnesota overcome a 20-point third-quarter deficit to secure the victory.  

Jaden McDaniels contributed 22 points, while Rudy Gobert scored 8 of his 13 points during the fourth quarter.   

“It feels great. Beating a team like they are, an incredible team, a championship team, with the best player in the world, it feels good,” Gobert said.   

Edwards capitalized on a Murray turnover to drain a three-pointer, giving the Timberwolves a 92-82 lead with 3:07 remaining.  

Naz Reid played a crucial role. He scored 11 points, two free throws, blocking a Jokic floater, and completing a putback dunk.   

The Nuggets began the game with a fantastic start. They raced to a 53-38 halftime lead and extended their advantage to 58-38 early in the third quarter.   

The Timberwolves, known for having the NBA’s stingiest defense, turned the tide with a dominant 28-9 run to close the quarter, pulling to within one point at 67-66 heading into the fourth.  

For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic had a standout performance with 34 points and 19 rebounds, and Jamal Murray scored 35 points, yet fell short of catching up with the Wolves.  

The Nuggets became the fifth consecutive defending champion to fail to reach the conference finals.  

“That was a hell of a series. They gave us all we could handle, and they ended up winning Game 7 on our home court, which is a tough one to swallow. But we’ll be back,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.   

The Timberwolves will now face the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals, with Game 1 set at Target Center on Thursday, May 23 (PHT).