MINNEAPOLIS — Jaden McDaniels delivered 32 points and 10 rebounds Thursday night, steering the injury-hit Minnesota Timberwolves to a 110-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets and a 4-2 win in their Western Conference first-round series.
Starting alongside an oversized front line, McDaniels set the tone on both ends while rookie guard Terrence Shannon Jr., promoted because of multiple back-court injuries, added 24 points. The sixth-seeded Timberwolves advanced to face the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday in Texas. San Antonio eliminated Portland in five games.
Size overwhelms Denver
With Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu sidelined, Minnesota went big, pairing Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid inside. That trio helped create a 64-40 margin in points in the paint and a 50-33 edge on the glass.
Gobert, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, consistently challenged Nikola Jokic at the rim, while McDaniels shadowed Jamal Murray around the perimeter. Jokic still posted 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Murray finished with only 12 points on 4-for-17 shooting. Cameron Johnson’s 27 points powered Denver’s 10-for-27 effort from three-point range, yet the defending 2023 champions never led after halftime.
Key late sequence
Denver closed within three late, but Shannon’s three-point play with 1:43 remaining stretched Minnesota’s lead to six. On the next trip, McDaniels drilled a 19-foot pull-up to make it 103-96 with 1:06 left, then picked off a hurried Jokic pass to trigger a series of free throws that sealed the result.
Rivalry grows, injuries mount
McDaniels stoked tension earlier in the series by labeling Denver “bad defenders,” and Minnesota’s motivation spiked when DiVincenzo exited in the opening minute of Game 4, followed soon after by Edwards. DiVincenzo, wearing a cast, was shown smiling behind the bench during a fourth-quarter timeout Thursday as the sellout crowd roared.
The Nuggets forced Game 6 by winning Monday’s Game 5, but could not match Minnesota’s energy in the finale. Since their 2023 title run, Denver has failed to find consistent support for three-time MVP Jokic in postseason play.
Minnesota now turns attention to San Antonio, opening a second-round matchup Monday at Frost Bank Center.
Source: ESPN
