Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – The Minnesota Timberwolves are heading back to the Western Conference Semifinals for the third season in a row.
The Wolves beat the Nuggets 110-98 in Game Six Thursday night at Target Center, closing out the best-of-seven series 4-2. Minnesota sealed it with a 10-1 run in the final two minutes.
Jaden McDaniels led the way with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Terrence Shannon Jr., a 2nd-year guard pressed into a starting role, added 24 points in 35 minutes off the bench’s depth chart.
The win is even more remarkable given who wasn’t in uniform. Minnesota played without four key rotation players: star Anthony Edwards (knee), Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles), Ayo Dosunmu (calf) and Kyle Anderson (illness). Edwards, DiVincenzo and Dosunmu had each averaged double digits in the series, making the Wolves the 1st team in NBA playoff history to win a postseason game while missing three players averaging 10 or more points in a series.
DiVincenzo, who tore his right Achilles in Game Four and is out for the rest of the playoffs, made an appearance at shootaround Thursday morning after surgery earlier in the week. Players arrived at Target Center wearing his No. 0 jersey before tipoff.
Head Coach Chris Finch leaned on a deeper rotation to get the win, including 26 minutes from veteran point guard Mike Conley and 12 minutes from reserve Jaylen Clark. The Wolves outscored Denver in the paint 64-40 and forced the Nuggets under 100 points for the third time in the series.
The fourth quarter featured another flare-up between Nikola Jokić and the Wolves, this time with Clark and Naz Reid. All three were assessed technical fouls.
Minnesota will face the 2nd-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Spurs eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 in their first-round series. A schedule has not yet been announced.
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