Jaden McDaniels led the Wolves on both ends as the Nuggets were shut out

Minneapolis — Jaden McDaniels had 32 points and 10 rebounds and Terence Shannon Jr. Scored 24 points in a stunning start for the injury-ravaged Minnesota Timberwolves A 110-98 win on Denver Nuggets Thursday night in Game 6 that capped off another exciting NBA playoff series between the rivals.

With their top three guards missing due to injuries, the Timberwolves went big Rudy Gobert, Julius Rundle And Naz Reed Fueled by a 64-40 advantage in points and a 50-33 edge in rebounding in the paint.

Minnesota, the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, will begin the second round Saint Anthony Beat second-seeded Spurs on Monday Portland Five games into their first-round series.

Nikola Jokic had 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to lead the Nuggets, but sidekick Jamal Murray McDaniels struggled to break free and finished with just 12 points on 4-for-17 shooting. Cameron Johnson Denver’s 10-for-27 from deep scored 27 points to lead the night, but Jokic and the 3-pointers weren’t enough to keep up with a heavily motivated Timberwolves team.

with Come on Dosunmu joining Anthony Edwards And Donte DiVincenzo On the inactive list, the Timberwolves were missing a large part of their shot-making ability.

An extra dose of defense and energy was needed to win this game and they brought both. Shannon added an element of pure speed that the Nuggets couldn’t stop when he got to the basket. McDaniels, embracing the role of villain, was a monster on both ends of the floor. The Timberwolves angered the roaring crowd at every turn and consistently made up for their lost offense with hustle and desire.

Shannon’s three-point play with 1:43 left gave the Timberwolves a six-point lead, and McDaniels followed with a dagger shot — his signature mid-range pull-up from 19 feet to make it a seven-point game with 1:06 to play. Then intercepted a pesky pass from Jokic to get the ball back and paraded down the line.

Since beating the Timberwolves in five games in the first round and heading to the NBA Championship in 2023, the Nuggets haven’t found the production or spunk needed to complement three-time MVP Jokic. They extended the series with a decisive win in Game 5 on Monday, but Minnesota’s defense has neutralized Jokic and rendered Murray an afterthought this postseason.

McDaniels relentlessly chased him around the perimeter. The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner continues to give Gobert Jokic a tough time in the paint with his long arms and excellent anticipation.

McDaniels threw more spice into this well-developed rivalry early in the series with his blanket “bad defender” jab at the Nuggets, and the Timberwolves have made no secret of their distaste for their opponent. Then their motivation skyrocketed when DiVincenzo went down in the opening minutes of Game 4 and was followed on the injured list by their franchise player, Edwards. During a stoppage in the fourth quarter, DiVincenzo was shown with a big smile as he sat with his leg in a cast behind the bench.