MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s basketball season featured inconsistent stretches during regular play, with the Timberwolves appearing to cruise through games while trying to rediscover the championship-level performance that carried them to back-to-back Western Conference finals in recent seasons.
However, their playoff intensity emerged forcefully in their matchup against Denver, exactly as team members had predicted. That competitive fire reached its peak during Thursday’s decisive Game 6 triumph, where Minnesota overcame the loss of their top three ball handlers to defeat the Nuggets 110-98.
“Still part of our growth,” head coach Chris Finch explained. “We’ve been really good with the high moments. Our consistency sometimes throughout the season isn’t always there, which we don’t really like about ourselves, but we know we have it in ourselves to meet these moments.”
Forward Jaden McDaniels exemplified that championship mindset perfectly.
No player better represents the unpredictable character of this tight-knit yet temperamental Minnesota squad than McDaniels, the sixth-year veteran who established himself as a series standout.
McDaniels relentlessly pursued All-Star point guard Jamal Murray through picks and defensive schemes across the court’s perimeter, holding him to just 4-of-17 field goal attempts in the clinching game while contributing significantly on offense.
Without key scorers Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu available due to injuries, McDaniels stepped up dramatically, connecting on 13-of-25 field goals for 32 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.
“What I was the most proud about him was just his emotional control, being able to stay poised, not overreact to adversity, calls or missed shots, or mistakes,” center Rudy Gobert commented. “He stayed present, and he stepped up big time when we needed him the most, so I’m really, really proud of him.”
McDaniels added fuel to this heated rivalry earlier in the series by calling Denver “bad defenders,” making clear his extra motivation when facing anything labeled with “Denver” or “Nuggets.”
“The only thing I said to him, after he had made his comments, was, ‘Now it’s time to back it up,’” Finch recalled. “And talking doesn’t matter. You’ve got to go do it. I knew he was going to put the effort in, so he was ready for it, and he owned it, and he responded.”
The forward also frustrated Denver superstar Nikola Jokic by scoring an easy basket during garbage time of Minnesota’s dominant Game 4 victory, leading to a brief scuffle between players.
After struggling in Game 5’s road defeat Monday, where Denver fans frequently jeered him, McDaniels bounced back at home with arguably his finest professional performance.
As Minnesota worked to seal the victory, McDaniels provided the crucial basket — nailing his trademark mid-range jumper to extend their advantage to seven points with 1:06 remaining. He then stole an errant Jokic pass to regain possession and help ice the game at the free-throw line.
Following the final buzzer, Jokic embraced McDaniels, showing respect from the three-time league MVP despite the frustration caused throughout the series.
“I’m just happy it’s over, happy we were able to come out on top,” McDaniels stated. “Stuff was said. I’m just happy we were all able to prove our point, get the win and move on to the next round.”
San Antonio, led by Victor Wembanyama, awaits Minnesota in the next round. The Spurs will host the opening game Monday.
“I figured the real winner of this series was going to be San Antonio, because both these teams were going to take a lot of pieces out of each other, and did,” Finch observed. “So I’m not sure what we have left standing there before we go down there.”
Despite potential personnel shortages and difficult odds, Minnesota appears prepared for another challenging battle.
“You have to believe that you can win, no matter what,” Gobert emphasized. “Obviously we’re missing some pretty important players, right? But no matter who’s out there, we believe in our defense. We believe in trusting one another. Anything’s possible.”
