Game 7 links
Nuggets blow 20-point lead in season-ending Game 7 loss to Minnesota Timberwolves
Renck: With everything on line, Nuggets choke away 20-point lead in Game 7 loss
Keeler: How Anthony Edwards, KAT flipped Game 7 script on Nuggets: “Once we lock in on the defensive side, we are a (heck) of a team to beat.”
Nuggets 3-pointers: From up 20 to knocked out, a stunning fall for defending-champion Denver in Game 7 loss to Timberwolves
Nuggets’ Jamal Murray firm on representing Canada in summer Olympics; Nikola Jokic undecided on playing for Serbia
PHOTOS: Denver Nuggets knocked out in Game 7 by Minnesota Timberwolves, 98-90
Final: Timberwolves 98, Nuggets 90
The title defense is done. Denver fought valiantly, turning a 2-0 series deficit into a 3-2 lead. With a 15-point lead to begin the second half, all the Nuggets had to do was close out Game 7. But tired legs equaled lots of tired shots. And now the season is over. For the sixth straight year, the defending champs will not reach the NBA Finals. And for the fifth time in six seasons, they lost by the end of the conference semifinals. This one is gonna hurt. — Matt Schubert
Fourth quarter updates
Miracle needed (8:25 p.m.): Jamal Murray gets a clean look at 3 … and it rims out. The defending champs might be done. It’s now 93-84 after Mike Conley sinks 1 of 2 free throws. — Matt Schubert
On the ropes (8:20 p.m.): Another offensive rebound from Naz Reid on a tipped dunk, then a steal and an Anthony Edwards corner 3. That might’ve been the knockout blow, folks. It’s 92-82, Wolves, with 3:05 to go. If the Nuggets have any magic left, they need it now. Right now. — Matt Schubert
Wolves on the boards (8:17 p.m.): Two offensive rebounds lead to a pair of Naz Reid free throws. Minnesota hanging on up 87-82 with 4:10 left. The Nuggets are clearly gassed. — Matt Schubert
Wolves hanging on (8:12 p.m.): Two Nikola Jokic 3-pointers and a Jamal Murray pull-up … and Denver still trails by five with 5:02 to go. If the Nuggets are going to return to the conference finals, it’s time for their Big Two to do even more (they already have 59 of Denver’s 80 points). Because the Wolves are not going to give this one to them. — Matt Schubert
Miracle shot (8:07): Rudy Gobert just made the … French Fadeaway? That’s probably the craziest shot of the big man’s career. When shots like that start going down, you know Denver is in trouble. It’s 81-75, Minnesota with 7:02 left. — Matt Schubert
Bang from outside (8:02 p.m.): The Timberwolves are giving Nikola Jokic wide-open 3s, and he’s missing them again and again — until he just buried one from the top of the key. He’s now 1 for 8 from deep. Still, the Nuggets are reeling with Minnesota leading 77-75 with 7:47 left. — Matt Schubert
At long last (7:58 p.m.): Pretty good time for MPJ’s first 3-pointer of the night. Tied the game at 72. There’s 9:44 to go. Buckle up. — Parker Gabriel
Attack (7:57 p.m.): Time to stop shooting 3s, Nuggets. This game is going to be won in the paint. — Matt Schubert
Here we go (7:54 p.m.): Nuggets led by 20 at 58-38. Timberwolves close the quarter on 28-9 run. Here we go. The Nuggets’ season is on the brink. They led 67-66 after 3. Timberwolves shooting 22 of 60. Nuggets now 25 of 63 and 5 of 22 from 3. Missing open 3s brought Timberwolves back into game. — Troy Renck
Third-quarter takeaway: Uh-oh. — Sean Keeler
Third quarter: Nuggets 67, Timberwolves 66
Third-quarter thought: Denver had better hope that long 3-pointer at the end of the quarter from Anthony Edwards doesn’t launch him into the fourth. The Wolves have already cut a 20-point deficit to one. Murray didn’t score in the final 10:50 of the third quarter. Denver’s going to have to wrestle control of this one back at least one more time. — Parker Gabriel
Shooting blanks (7:52 p.m.): The Nuggets are 1 of 9 from 3-point range in the third quarter and 5 of 21 from deep overall tonight. — Parker Gabriel
KAT’s revenge (7:50 p.m.): Karl-Anthony Towns is THE reason the Timberwolves are actually in this thing. Just an incredible performance from the big man, who’s attacked the paint repeatedly against smaller Nuggets and turned those drives into points. But now he’s got four fouls after an ill-advised play on Nikola Jokic in the post. He’s got 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, with eight rebounds. He and Jaden McDaniels (16 points, four fouls) are going to be very important in this fourth quarter. — Matt Schubert
Clamps on (7:44 p.m.): It’s a 19-3 run for the Wolves since a Murray 3-pointer put Denver up 20. Nuggets have just one field goal (a Christian Braun second-chance leaner) in the past 7:47. — Parker Gabriel
Denver, we got a problem (7:43 p.m.): A Nikola Jokic turnover leads to an Anthony Edwards dunk on the other end, and suddenly the Nuggets’ lead has shrunk to 61-57 with 2:50 left in the third quarter. Buckle up, buttercup. — Matt Schubert
Comeback coming? (7:42 p.m.): The Cavs set the record for comebacks in a playoff Game 7, rallying from 18 down vs. the Magic earlier this month. The Nuggets led by 20. Now they are back in a rock fight, leading by eight (61-53). — Troy Renck
Wolves rolling (7:40 p.m.): T’Wolves aren’t going anywhere, folks. Back-to-back 3-pointers by McDaniels and Conley part of a 10-0 run and they have the lead down to six midway through the third quarter. — Parker Gabriel
Tightening up (7:40 p.m.): Michael Porter Jr. just hasn’t gotten it going in this series. After a terrible 3-point miss, Mike Conley buries a corner 3 and we’ve got a six-point game. Uh oh. — Matt Schubert
Murray + Jokic (7:37 p.m.): Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic currently have 43 of the Nuggets’ 59 points. Too much of a good thing? I think not. — Matt Schubert
Ant control (7:35 p.m.): The Nuggets have Anthony Edwards entirely out of whack. He just scored his first points of the second half and has six on the night. He just missed two shots in the same trip — the second smacked of frustration — and is 2 for 10 on the night. We’ll see if a transition layup at 7:24 of the third quarter gets him going at all. If not, the Wolves can make vacation plans. The Nuggets lead 59-47 with 7:24 left in the third quarter. — Parker Gabriel
Staying on top (7:28 p.m.): The Nuggets and Wolves trade mini-runs with Denver now up 58-43 with a Karl-Anthony Towns foul call on Nikola Jokic currently under review. Denver’s defense has just been too good for the Wolves, whose offensive warts are really starting to show. — Matt Schubert
Going great (7:11 p.m.): We’re at half, and the Nuggets lead 53-38. That’s the lowest scoring half for the Timberwolves in this series. They are 12 of 38 from the field, while Denver is shooting a respective 45.5% (20 of 44) with a significant edge on the boards (29-18). — Matt Schubert
Halftime thoughts: Nuggets 53, Timberwolves 38
Bennett Durando, Nuggets reporter: The Nuggets have lost a lot of hustle stats such as fast-break and second-chance points in this series. Guess what? At halftime of Game 7, they’re out-rebounding Minnesota 31-21 for a 14-2 lead in second-chance points. Jokic has 15 boards. Denver has only allowed 10 points in the paint, and the Timberwolves minus KAT are shooting 7 for 32 from the field.
Parker Gabriel, sports reporter: The Nuggets’ defense is the story. And Jamal Murray’s been the offensive engine. But Nikola Jokic’s five first-half offensive boards loom large. Denver’s plan on Anthony Edwards so far is like a pitcher whose dialed in sequencing his pitches. Keep the batter (or in this case the budding superstar) off balance and just keep doing it until he times you up and forces you to do something different.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Jamal Murray has 24. Michael Jordan Jr. has 4. I’m guilty of over-simplifying this game, but that’s your stat. That’s your story. Right there. If that continues, we’re going to have an epic, seven-game series that was … paradoxically, full of blowouts. Weird.
Second quarter updates
At the break (7:06 p.m.): A Christian Braun block and Jamal Murray driving layup give Denver a strong finish to the first half. Nuggets lead by 15 and are 24 minutes from a date with Dallas in the Western Conference Finals. — Parker Gabriel
The D in Denver (7:07 p.m.): The Nuggets defense just put on a clinic, punctuated by Christian Braun’s block at the rim. Anthony Edwards is out of sync and the Wolves finish the first half shooting 31.6% from the field. Denver is one half from its second straight trip to the conference finals. — Matt Schubert
What can Braun do for you? (7:01 p.m.): Christian Braun is playing with 5-hour Energy. Denver’s defense has been fantastic as he’s chased down multiple players on layups. Interested to see where his game is in 2-3 years. Hasn’t found shooting touch at pro level, but as he converts more open shots it will open lane for his relentless drives. — Troy Renck
Not going away (7 p.m.): Karl-Anthony Towns scores back-to-back baskets and now has 13 points. Just when it looks like the Nuggets might totally pull away, the Timberwolves claw their way back. Anthony Edwards has only four points on 1-of-6 shooting, and the Nuggets lead 48-38 with 2:13 left in the second quarter. If you’re Minnesota, it could be a lot worse. — Matt Schubert
Foul trouble (6:55 p.m.) Jaden McDaniels picking up three fouls in a three-minute span here in the second quarter is trouble for Minnesota. — Parker Gabriel
Mal on fire (6:53 p.m.): Jamal Murray has 22 of Denver’s 43 so far. — Parker Gabriel
Slo-Mo, no mo (6:53 p.m.): Kyle Anderson has no business playing in this series. It’s been rough pretty much from the start. And it only gets rougher in Game 7 after he misses a chippie on one end, then fouls Jamal Murray on an and-one jumper on the other. The Nuggets now lead 41-29 with less than five minutes to go in the first half. — Matt Schubert
McDaniels has showed up (6:48 p.m.): Jaden McDaniels scores five points in less than a minute, including a corner 3. We’re back to a five-point game. — Matt Schubert
Non-Jokic win (6:48 p.m.): Nuggets go plus-1 in Nikola Jokic’s first stretch of rest tonight early in the second quarter. But Minnesota starting to get untracked offensively by getting to the line — Parker Gabriel
Uh oh (6:46 p.m.): Jamal Murray comes up ginger after an awkward fall to the ground. He’s staying in the game, but that is not something the Nuggets want to see given his collection of injuries. Nuggets lead 34-22. — Matt Schubert
Land of 10,000 misses (6:44 p.m.): A pair of Rudy Gobert free throws are Minnesota’s first points in 5:05. A scoring drought befitting Big Ten country. — Parker Gabriel
Little big man (6:44 p.m.): Rudy Gobert had Jamal Murray guarding him in the post for what felt like 3 minutes last possession. The Wolves didn’t even look Gobert’s way. Says a lot. — Sean Keeler
Christian Braun, Ant Stopper (6:42 p.m.): The best defender on Anthony Edwards in this series? Easily Braun, who put the clamps on Ant on one possession, then outhustled him to a loose ball that ended up with free throws on the other end. Nuggets are cruising. — Matt Schubert
Ball Arena on fire (6:35 p.m.): Seven boards for MPJ already and now back-to-back buckets to force Minnesota into a timeout. Denver up 30-19. Ball Arena is rocking. It’s a 14-0 run for Denver. Minnesota hasn’t scored in more than four minutes, since the 1:42 mark of the first quarter. — Parker Gabriel
The others (6:37 p.m.): The Nuggets are about more than one guy. But in the NBA Playoffs? It’s largely about one guy. Jamal Murray’s got three treys and is on a heat check. When Murray’s made at least 3 treys in a postseason game, Denver’s 23-5. — Sean Keeler
Marathon man (6:36 p.m.): Does Jokic play 45 minutes tonight? Or even 48? We’ve seen him log herculean minutes before in postseason. And this would be night to do it, obviously. — Troy Renck
Entering second quarter hot (6:31 p.m.): Jamal Murray made his last four shots of the first quarter and put 10 on Minnesota over the final 4:14. On the other end, Anthony Edwards was 1 for 5 in the first quarter. The Nuggets have put together a heck of a defensive effort so far. Long way to go, of course. — Parker Gabriel
First quarter thoughts (6:30 p.m.): Jamal Murray didn’t play a particularly good quarter. Minnesota kept getting him stuck on bigs in the paint defensively, he missed shots, and one of the worst entry passes I’ve ever seen turned into the only easy bucket of the game so far. But making two consecutive 3-pointers to end a quarter will do a lot for ya.
Now Nikola Jokic is starting the second quarter again, an unusual flourish that Michael Malone tried in Game 6 when he was desperate to stay in the game. Not the case this time. How ’bout the block for Reggie Jackson though? — Bennett Durando
First quarter: Nuggets 24, Timberwolves 19
Jamal Murray simmering (6:31 p.m.). Murray missed four of first five shots. He finishes the quarter 5 of 10 for 13 points… MPJ also has 6 rebounds… good sign…. The only one not to get hot was Rocky the Mascot. Watching him try half-court shots is akin to Birdman in the dunk contest. — Troy Renck
He’s heating up (6:27 p.m.): Jamal Murray… percolating. — Parker Gabriel
MPJ Watch (6:26 p.m.): MPJ has six rebounds in the first 10 minutes but he’s 0 for 4 from the floor and 0 for 2 from deep. He’s had two good looks, one that went all the way around and popped out. Minnesota 17, Denver 16 after 10 minutes. — Parker Gabriel
Back on track (6:25 p.m.): Jamal Murray gets a floating drive off glass, then backs down his defender for a fadeaway in the lane as part of a big Nuggets run. He’s now 3 for 7 from the field. This is the Murray the Nuggets need. It’s 17-16 Minnesota with two minutes to go in the first quarter. — Matt Schubert
Big fella can ball (6:25 p.m.): Naz Reid is a problem, if he’s gonna make it rain like that. Gives Joker another “Joker-type” stretch-4/5 to guard. With Rudy, he can hover around the paint and prep for the miss off the jumper. With Reid, he’s gotta be ready for ANYTHING. — Sean Keeler
Et tu, Mal? (6:20 p.m.): Since March 17, Jamal Murray’s had a sub 40% shooting night seven different times. The Nuggs were 3-4 in those tilts. Joker’s Robin has missed 4 of his first 5 tonight. — Sean Keeler
Poor start (6:18 p.m.): Nuggets off to slow start. Missed 10 of the first 12 shots and are 1-for-5 from 3. MPJ is out of sync. Driving when should shoot 3. Shooting 3 when they should drive. Also got beat by overplaying McDaniels. Nuggets have shown urgency, but no accuracy. — Troy Renck
Gotta hit those chippies (6:17 p.m.): With offense so hard to come by and jump shots not falling early, the real sting for Denver right now is from two could’ve-been dunks. Jaden McDaniels denied Aaron Gordon at the rim on one, and Jamal Murray rimmed out another after a nice drive. It’s 9-5 Minnesota. — Bennett Durando
Conley hits (6:16 p.m.): Nuggets ran a double at Anthony Edwards out high and Mike Conley buried his first look from the corner. Denver can’t let Minnesota’s role players get into a good rhythm offensively. — Parker Gabriel
Slugfest underway (6:14 p.m.): The Timberwolves already have two blocks at the rim, including an incredible Jaden McDaniels stuff of Aaron Gordon on an attempted two-handed slam at the rim. This is shaping up to be a rock fight, folks. Jamal Murray is now 1 of 3 from long range with a missed dunk. It’s 9-5 Minnesota early in the first quarter with McDaniels going to the free throw line after an and-one. — Matt Schubert
Mal gets going (6:10 p.m.): Jamal Murray buries his first shot of the night, a stepback 3. That’s a GREAT sign. — Matt Schubert
Hey, Scott (6:08 p.m.): One possession, one Scott Foster illegal screen call on Rudy Gobert. — Parker Gabriel
Pregame updates
Local flavor (6:03 p.m.): Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats with the national anthem. Now lineups. Ball Arena is fully charged. — Parker Gabriel
Split picks (6:02 p.m.): For those curious about this sort of thing, the TNT crew was split 2-2 down the middle in picking Game 7. Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith went with Minnesota. Ernie Johnson and Vince Carter picked Denver. Take that as you will. — Matt Schubert
About to tip (5:59 p.m.): Here we are, the first Game 7 at Ball Arena in five years. The Nuggets’ championship defense has already been extraordinary. Forcing a Game 7 after losing the first two games of this series at home is no small thing. Beat Minnesota tonight, and they will be just the sixth team in NBA history to win a series after going down 2-0 at home. Folks, it doesn’t get much better than this. Buckle up and enjoy. — Matt Schubert
Going for 3 (5 p.m.): Welcome to the eighth Game 7 in Nuggets franchise history, and first since the NBA bubble in 2020. Denver famously had a pair of Game 7 wins over Utah and the L.A. Clippers in the Orlando bubble, coming back from 3-1 deficits twice en route to a conference finals appearance. As Bennett Durando noted this morning, several of the key players from that Utah-Denver Game 7 will be in Ball Arena tonight, including a guard who can’t stop thinking about a shot that rimmed out. The Jokic-Murray Nuggets are 3-1 in Game 7s, with the only loss coming to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference semis in 2019. Denver is 4-3 overall. — Matt Schubert
Game 7 themes (5 p.m.): Game 7s make for great theater, but not only because of the stakes and suspense. this one will either end with a roaring ovation for the Nuggets and an encore in the Western Conference Finals — or it’ll be curtains. Here are five themes to watch. — Bennett Durando
Pregame predictions
Bennett Durando, Nuggets reporter: The common line of thinking in a winner-take-all game is that the superstar player who performs best will dictate the outcome of the game. I’m more inclined after the double-teaming Minnesota and Denver have applied to Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards to declare the team whose role players deliver will win. Both Jokic and Edwards have displayed an ability to play-make for teammates in response to aggressive coverage. So who’s making corner 3s? Aaron Gordon or Jaden McDaniels? Which second option steps up, Jamal Murray or KAT? In the end let’s go with … Prediction: Nuggets 103, Timberwolves 100
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: The counter to the counter to the counter gets the last laugh. Chris Finch got one back on his old pal Michael Malone by having KAT guard Joker instead of Rudy Gobert. It’s not rocket science: The two games in which Rudy wasn’t charged with trying to contain the MVP, Minnesota took off. If the Wolves are keeping that assignment, this game comes down to who most Nuggets playoff games come down to: Jamal Murray. If he shines, this train may not stop for three more weeks. If he’s Game 6 ‘Mal, summer’s coming early. Thinking the extra rest and Malone’s adjustments — he’s 3-1 in Game 7s with Denver — turn the tide. Barely. Prediction: Nuggets 110, Wolves 104.
Troy Renck, sports columnist: The Nuggets were never pushed to the brink in winning a title last year. They never played a team as good as this version of the Timberwolves, either. This has been a forgettable series, defined by four blowouts. I expect a matchup befitting a Game 7. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray must play well, but Minnesota is not going to let Jokic go for 40. One of The Other Guys has to shine, preferably Aaron Gordon or Michael Porter Jr. I am convinced they will. Prediction: Nuggets 109, Timberwolves 105.
Parker Gabriel, sports reporter: A series full of blowouts. Now a deciding game where another lopsided night would still come as a surprise. The Timberwolves’ defense is fierce. The Nuggets will have to find a way to match. The bet here is low scoring. Like, under 100 each way. Gut call: the best defensive team in basketball makes the last big defensive play. Prediction: Timberwolves 96, Nuggets 94.
Matt Schubert, sports editor: Road teams have fared better than you might think in Game 7s, including an upset earlier today at MSG. It’s hard to pick against Nikola Jokic in a winner-take-all situation. But this is really more about whether or not the Nuggets get something from Jamal Murray and someone else. To beat Minnesota tonight, they’ll absolutely need it. The bet is here is they will. Prediction Nuggets 105, Timberwolves 100.
Nuggets-Timberwolves Game 7: Must reads
Five themes to watch for in Game 7 of an odd NBA playoff series
Game 7s make for great theater, but not only because of the stakes and suspense. They are the final act of a ballet between two teams who have already revealed their choreography. There will be variations on the themes from earlier, but those themes have been seen and interpreted throughout six games. Now it’s the sheer quality of the performance that counts most.
I’ve been at all six games of this peculiar NBA playoff series between the Nuggets and Timberwolves. Here are five themes I think might be important Sunday (6 p.m. MT) at Ball Arena. Game 7 will either end with a roaring ovation for the Nuggets and an encore in the Western Conference Finals — or it’ll be curtains.
Renck: Game 7 requires greatness from Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, but look for Aaron Gordon to meet the moment
Aaron Gordon remains a beautiful contradiction.
He is a vibe off the court, but a dog on it. He is chill, but leaves defenders running hot. He brings all eyes to him when he walks into a room, but humility defines him.
As the Nuggets face the Timberwolves in Game 7, the focus on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray is on sharp display. Denver cannot win without the pair playing well, so it should surprise no one that Murray was the last player on the court Saturday practicing floaters. Read the full story.
Timberwolves’ Mike Conley has waited 4 years for Game 7 redemption after missing buzzer-beater vs. Nuggets
The lasting image from one of the most hectic Game 7 endings in NBA history was of two young guards embracing in mutual admiration.
Donovan Mitchell had collapsed to the floor, devastated, after Utah’s final 3-point attempt spun out of the cylinder as time expired, leaving Mitchell with only an 80-78 loss to show for his Herculean effort in the bubble: 36.3 points per game on 52% outside shooting in a seven-game saga. On the floor of the mostly empty gymnasium he remained, until Nuggets guard Jamal Murray found him there and helped him up. The two 23-year-olds had traded 50-point games in a memorable series. Murray comforted his opponent. In a sterile environment, it was a rare moment of warmth.
And what about the player who missed the shot? Read the full story.
Does Game 7 of Nuggets vs. Timberwolves come down to Jamal Murray? He has an elbow injury now, too
Running into a Rudy Gobert screen can feel like colliding with a brick wall. For Jamal Murray, the result was a lot of pain and a lot of bricks.
Murray attributed his 4-for-18 Game 6 performance partially to a right elbow injury that he sustained while defending a screen two possessions into the 115-70 loss Thursday night.
The Nuggets point guard never exited the game due to the injury, but he was shaken up immediately, flexing his right arm on the court during live play to test how the elbow felt. He said he put numbing cream on the elbow when he went to the bench, “just so I didn’t have to feel it every time I extended it,” but it didn’t feel better for the rest of the game. Read the full story.
Renck: Nuggets were pummeled, yet there’s no panic. Nikola Jokic’s mood is why they will win Game 7
There is no elasticity left. Hyperbole exists. The Nuggets stand with their toes dangling over the edge of the cliff, a view never required during last year’s championship run. They have reached Game 7 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Let’s call this series what it is with no historical perspective required: a clumsy mess of brilliance and blowouts.
Everything screams that the Nuggets should be concerned. With a chance to extinguish the Timberwolves on Thursday night, the Nuggets played with the urgency of Eeyore.
And yet, there is no panic. Disappointment? Yes. Humiliation? Absolutely. But no alarms were blaring in the locker room. The only sound an hour after the game was Nikola Jokic, airpods in, humming along to one of his favorite songs. He is the temperature of this team. And this mood remains the overwhelming reason they will win on Sunday. Read the full story.
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