Timberwolves eliminate Nuggets with 110-98 Game 6 win at Target Center

Minnesota’s season looked like it was asking too much. Too many injuries. Too much Denver shot-making. Too much Nikola Jokić gravity. But on Thursday night, the Timberwolves didn’t just survive that math — they beat it. They closed out the Nuggets 110-98 in Game 6 at Target Center, won the series 4-2, and pushed themselves into another Western Conference semifinal. ### How did Minnesota win this shorthanded? They got bigger, tougher, and simpler. With Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, Ayo Dosunmu, and Kyle Anderson unavailable, Minnesota leaned into size with Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid. That changed the whole texture of the game. The Wolves pounded Denver inside, finished with a 64-40 edge in paint points, and controlled the boards 50-33. ### Why was Jaden McDaniels the swing piece? Because this was the version of McDaniels Minnesota always hopes is there in huge games. He scored a career playoff-high 32 points and added 10 rebounds, but the bigger thing was how steady he looked doing it. Denver couldn’t treat him like a bystander. Every time the Nuggets tilted toward Minnesota’s bigger names, McDaniels made them pay. ### What did the frontcourt do? Basically everything that usually gets described as “dirty work,” plus a lot of the scoring. Julius Randle scored 24 in a surprise start, Gobert anchored the interior, and Reid gave Minnesota another big body Denver had to deal with on every possession. The Wolves’ answer to missing guards was not to mimic guard play — it was to make Denver play their game instead. ### Where did Denver lose control? In the middle of the floor and around the rim. Jokić still created offense, but Denver never consistently solved Minnesota’s size. The Nuggets opened with 30 points in the first quarter, then managed just 20 in the second while Minnesota took over the game. From there, the Wolves kept the pressure on and never let the building get nervous for long. ### Why does this count as an upset? Start with the seeds — Denver was No. 3, Minnesota No. 6. Then add the health gap. Minnesota entered the closeout game without four rotation players, including Edwards and Dosunmu, who had exploded for 43 points in Game 4. On paper, that should have opened the door for Denver to force Game 7. Instead, the Wolves slammed it shut. ### What changes now for the bracket? Minnesota advances to face San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals. That is the new reality of the West bracket — Denver is out, and the Wolves are still standing despite looking badly compromised a few days ago. NBA and team schedule pages show the semifinal matchup is set, with Minnesota’s next round beginning in mid-May. ### What does this say about the Wolves? It says this team has an identity sturdy enough to survive roster chaos. Not elegant — sturdy. They defended, rebounded, and kept generating offense without the usual perimeter structure. That matters in the playoffs because every series eventually turns into a stress test. Minnesota just passed one of the hardest versions. ### Bottom line This wasn’t a miracle hot-shooting night. It was a blunt-force closeout. Minnesota overwhelmed Denver with size, effort, and a huge McDaniels game, and now the Wolves get a semifinal shot against the Spurs instead of a winner-take-all Game 7.