MINNEAPOLIS — It wasn’t the Minnesota Timberwolves’ dominant defense that Anthony Edwards credited for his team’s 115-70 shellacking of the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday. It wasn’t his own ascendant attack, either, after Edwards led all scorers with 27 points and helped the Wolves beat Denver by 43 in the 34 minutes he was on the court.
No, according to Edwards, it was simply the presence of the 36-year-old Minnesota point guard that made all the difference in the Wolves snapping a three-game losing streak in the Western Conference semifinals to force Game 7 on Sunday.
“We got Mike Conley back,” Edwards said. “That was it.”
Conley, a 17-year veteran, missed Tuesday’s Game 5 with right Achilles tendon soreness. The Nuggets defense responded by attacking Edwards with double teams all night, and the Wolves missed Conley’s ability to balance the court.
“Obviously I wanted to play the last game,” Conley said. “I just couldn’t move. Tonight was a no-brainer. I was going to try to find a way. We’re just better when we’re a complete team.”
Conley had 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and no turnovers, but his impact was magnified by Minnesota’s ability to deny Denver a chance to play Edwards.
Edwards struggled with 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting and 4 turnovers in Game 5. He had a game-high 102 touches, according to Second Spectrum, and shouldered an inordinate portion of the offensive load for a Minnesota team that was beginning to sputter against the defending champions.
With Conley returning to the lineup, Edwards’ touches were reduced to 64 in Game 6 and he was more efficient, shooting 8 of 17 and committing just one turnover.
“Mike means everything to us,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “Amazing next to Anthony in terms of being able to set him up, play against him, be in his ear all the time. Smart defender. Just everything you want in an experienced, veteran point guard and just the very fact that Ant I don’t have to deal with him every time, that alone helps us… We missed him desperately the other night.
In the previous three games, the Wolves had lacked the type of lockdown defense that put them up 2-0 to open the series. The coaching staff wanted to remind them of what they were capable of and showed the players a video of their defensive highlights before the announcement.
“It was like a hype video,” said Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who had 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal Thursday. “It had a good effect on us. It just shows that we are capable of competing with these guys. We’ve done it before.”
The defensive performance that followed was astounding. The Wolves held Denver to 30.2% shooting overall, including 19.4% from 3. They won the rebound battle 62-43, won the turnover battle 12-6 and scored 19 points on those turnovers. The 70 points the Nuggets put up was the lowest of the season, including the regular season and playoffs, 10 points shy of Denver’s previous low when the Wolves put them down in Game 2. The 45-point margin of victory was the second largest in the NBA. historic by a team threatened with elimination during a playoff game.
“I think we shouldn’t (forget this loss),” Nuggets star Nikola Jokic said. “I think we need to (let it) sink in. It’s a big loss. They destroyed us and you should learn from that.”
The Wolves held Jokic to 22 points and 2 assists after going 40 and 13 in Game 5, and they held Jamal Murray to 10 points on 4-of-18 shooting after going 16 points on 7-of-5 shooting. 14 in the fifth game. .
Karl-Anthony Towns (10 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists) was Jokic’s primary defender, and Edwards took it upon himself to follow Murray.
“I want to be the best player on both sides of the ball in the NBA,” Edwards said. “It’s something I’ve been working on. It all comes from being in shape. … I wasn’t at all tired of chasing him and following him everywhere he went and contesting all his shots “He’s a great player, man, and I feel like I did a good job tonight.”
The Wolves head into Sunday’s Game 7 with a chance to reach the conference finals for the first time in 20 years.
“They’re the defending champions, so it’s going to be very difficult,” Edwards said. “They’re at home. They’re at the crib. Their fans are crazy. It’s going to be super loud. But I feel like as a competitor, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. … I’m super excited for it, I’m super happy, I’m ready to play it.
Looks like the Nuggets are ready too.
“It’s all about mindset now,” Murray said. “All this is behind us, all these games we are talking about (are) all behind us. All that’s left is Sunday, who will win these 48 minutes and how are we going to get there.”
ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.
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