Timberwolves got here again from 20 factors right down to win the sequence 4-3 in opposition to MVP Nicola Jokic’s Nuggets.

The Minnesota Timberwolves authored a shocking second-half comeback to beat the Denver Nuggets 98-90, knocking the defending champions out of the NBA playoffs.

It marked the sixth straight season that the defending champions did not make it out of the second spherical.

“The groups are extra hungry, higher, [more] gifted than final yr,” Denver star Nikola Jokic mentioned of the problem of repeating, even in a season by which he scooped a 3rd Most Precious Participant award.

“All people will get higher. All people desires to beat us, in all probability.”

The Timberwolves adopted up a 45-point Recreation 6 victory with an epic comeback from 20 factors down within the third quarter to win their best-of-seven sequence 4-3 and ebook a Western Convention finals conflict with the Dallas Mavericks.

Karl-Anthony Cities scored 23 factors and grabbed 12 rebounds, Jaden McDaniels added 23 factors and Anthony Edwards hit his stride late because the Timberwolves grew to become the primary workforce to come back again from a half-time deficit of greater than 11 factors to win a Recreation 7.

The Nuggets went chilly as Edwards and the Timberwolves constructed a rhythm and minimize the deficit to 1 level going into the ultimate quarter, then took on a driving layup by Rudy Gobert early within the fourth.

“They had been scoring,” mentioned Jokic, who scored 14 of his 34 factors within the fourth. “That they had loads of offensive rebounds. We can not make photographs.

“I believe we had loads of open appears, wide-open appears, however that’s what occurs. Typically you make photographs, typically you miss photographs, and at the moment I believe we missed loads of good photographs.

“However that’s not simply on us. They performed some good defence.”

However Jokic mentioned he wouldn’t purchase into the notion that defeat felt worse as a result of the Nuggets ought to have gained.

“I don’t imagine in that,” the Serbian mentioned. “I believe the workforce who wins is the higher workforce.”

Karl-Anthony Cities leads the @Timberwolves‘ collective effort as they arrive again from down 20 to win Recreation 7 and advance to their first Western Convention Finals since 2004!

Jaden McDaniels: 23 PTS, 6 REB
Anthony Edwards: 16 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST

Recreation 1 of the WCF ideas Wednesday at… pic.twitter.com/3k7z9vLGen

— NBA (@NBA) Might 20, 2024

Pacers crush Knicks 130-109 to achieve Jap Convention finals

Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 factors because the Indiana Pacers rode some of the sensational first halves in Recreation 7 historical past to a 130-109 victory over the New York Knicks, advancing to the Jap Convention finals for the primary time in 10 years.

The Pacers set an NBA playoff file by capturing 67.1 p.c from the sphere and superior to face top-seeded Boston in a sequence that begins on Tuesday. Indiana final reached the convention finals in 2014, shedding to Miami.

The Pacers made 29 of their 38 photographs within the first half, a capturing share of 76.3 p.c that was the best within the postseason since 1997, when the NBA started holding detailed play-by-play for all 4 quarters. They led 70-55 at that time and pulled away each time the Knicks tried to make a run within the second half.

“I simply informed our workforce if you win a Recreation 7 in Madison Sq. Backyard, you’ve made historical past,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned.