Timberwolves eliminate Nuggets

The Timberwolves didn’t just survive Game 6 — they kind of bullied their way through it. Minnesota beat Denver 110-98 on Thursday, won the first-round series 4-2, and sent Nikola Jokić into an early offseason. That matters on its own. But the bigger thing is how Minnesota did it: without its top three guards, with a patched-together rotation, and with Jaden McDaniels turning into the best player on the floor for long stretches. (espn.com) ### How shorthanded were the Wolves? Very. Anthony Edwards was out, and Minnesota was also missing two other primary guards, which forced Chris Finch into a much bigger look than usual. Instead of trying to replace ballhandling with more ballhandling, the Wolves leaned into size — Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Rei(espn.com)africa.espn.com) ### So what actually won them the game? The paint. Minnesota finished with a 64-40 edge in points in the paint and a 50-33 advantage in rebounds. That’s the whole story in one snapshot. Denver still had Jokić, still had enough shot creation to hang around, but the Wolves made the game feel heavy. Every miss turned into a wrestling match. Every rotation felt like it had to absorb one more body. (africa.espn.com) ### Why was McDaniels the swing piece? Because he gave Minnesota offense it wasn’t supposed to have. McDaniels finished with a career-high 32 points and 10 rebounds, and this wasn’t one of those empty hot-hand nights. He scored in ways that kept Denver from loading up everywhere else — cuts, finishes, midrange looks, transition cha(africa.espn.com)d on Minnesota’s frontcourt. (espn.com) ### Where did the extra scoring come from? Terrence Shannon Jr. was the surprise jolt. He scored 24 in a spot start, which is a huge number for a team already down so much perimeter creation. That let Minnesota avoid the usual playoff trap where an undermanned team hangs around for two quarters and then just runs out of shotmaking. The Wolves never really hit that wall. (africa.espn.com) ### What happened to Denver? The Nuggets got dragged into the wrong kind of game. Jokić still produced over the series, but Minnesota made Denver’s support structure feel thin. That has been the tension in this matchup for a while now — if the Wolves can turn it into a long, physical, frontcourt series, Denver stops looking inevitable and starts looking vulnerable around its superstar. (nba.com) ### Is this becoming a real rivalry? Yeah — and not in the fake “two good teams played” way. These teams have been trading meaningful punches for a few years, and now Minnesota has knocked Denver out again. The seeding said Nuggets over Wolves should at least be close. The result said something a little harsher: Minnesota’s size and defe(nba.com)compromised. That’s an inference, but it fits the pattern of this series and the recent history between them. (nba.com) ### What changes now? Minnesota moves on to San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals. That’s the reward, but also the next test. The Wolves proved they can win ugly and win short-handed. The question now is whether they get healthier before the next round starts — because if key guards return, this stops looking like a gutsy upset stor(nba.com)m. (nba.com) ### Bottom line? Minnesota didn’t steal this series. The Wolves imposed it. And in Game 6, with half the backcourt missing, that was the loudest statement of all.