Honestly, if you turned off your TV at halftime during the Wolves vs Nuggets Game 7, nobody would’ve blamed you. The Denver Nuggets were up 15. Then, early in the third, that lead ballooned to 20. Ball Arena was shaking. Jamal Murray was doing that thing where he hits everything, and Nikola Jokic looked like a brick wall.
It felt over.
But it wasn't. What followed was a 54-24 second-half blitz that didn't just win a game—it shifted the entire power dynamic of the Western Conference.
The 20-Point Hole and the Wolves vs Nuggets Game 7 Reality
Most people look at the final score, 98-90, and assume it was a defensive grind. It was. But it was also a psychological war. When the Minnesota Timberwolves walked into the locker room down 53-38, Anthony Edwards had four points. Four. He was 1-of-7 from the field. For a guy who had been compared to Michael Jordan all postseason, he looked human.
The Nuggets were cruising. Jamal Murray had 24 points by the half. He was hunting Mike Conley and hunting Rudy Gobert. It looked like the defending champs were simply too experienced for the "young" Wolves.
Then the third quarter happened.
The Wolves didn't just start scoring; they started taking things. They forced the Nuggets into a nine-minute stretch where Denver scored exactly three points. Three points in nine minutes of a Game 7. That's not just bad shooting—that's a defensive straightjacket.
Why Karl-Anthony Towns Was the Real MVP
While everyone talks about Ant, the Wolves vs Nuggets Game 7 actually belonged to Karl-Anthony Towns. If KAT doesn't show up in that first half to keep them afloat, they lose by 30. He finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, but his defense on Jokic was the story.
Usually, Jokic treats defenders like chairs. He moves them, spins off them, or just shoots over them. Towns stayed disciplined. He used his chest, kept his hands up, and didn't bite on every pump fake.
And then there was Jaden McDaniels. 23 points. He was the "X-factor" everyone mentions but nobody actually expects to go off. He hit three big triples and defended like his life depended on it.
The Stats That Actually Mattered
- The Comeback: 20 points. That is the largest comeback in a Game 7 in NBA play-by-play history (since 1997-98).
- The Bench: Naz Reid's 11 points and block on Jokic. He played only 21 minutes but was a +12.
- Denver's Cold Spell: The Nuggets shot 5-of-19 in the third quarter. They absolutely hit a wall.
The Moment the Vibe Shifted
There’s a specific play people forget. In the fourth quarter, Rudy Gobert—a man who is often mocked for his lack of offensive touch—hit a turnaround fadeaway jumper as the shot clock expired.
Even the Wolves bench looked confused. When that shot goes in for Rudy, you know the universe is pulling for you. It put Minnesota up 77-72.
Jamal Murray tried to answer. He ended with 35 points, but he was gassed. Jokic had 34 points and 19 rebounds, but by the end, he was basically throwing the ball at the rim and hoping for the best. He didn't have his legs. The Wolves' "Twin Towers" plus Naz Reid approach had finally worn him down.
What This Game Taught Us About the Nuggets
There’s this idea that the Nuggets "choked." Kinda, but not really.
The real issue was depth. Denver’s starters played massive minutes. Jokic played over 46 minutes. Murray played over 42. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, they had nothing left in the tank. They were missing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green from their previous championship run, and it showed.
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Minnesota, on the other hand, had waves of defenders. They could throw KAT, then Rudy, then Naz at Jokic. They could throw McDaniels, then Nickeil Alexander-Walker, then Ant at Murray. It was a war of attrition that Denver was never going to win once it became a dogfight.
Moving Forward: Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking back at the Wolves vs Nuggets Game 7 to understand where the league is heading, here are the takeaways.
Watch the "Three-Big" Model The Wolves proved that "small ball" isn't the only way to win. If you have mobile bigs who can shoot and defend, you can punish teams that lack size. Look for other teams to try and replicate this "Timberwolves Blueprint" against elite centers.
Don't Box Score Watch Anthony Edwards shot 6-of-24. In most games, that’s a disaster. But his 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and lockdown defense on Murray in the second half were why they won. Sometimes gravity and effort matter more than the shooting percentage.
The Impact of Fatigue When betting or analyzing high-stakes games, look at the minutes played in the previous three games. Denver looked leg-weary because they were. Depth is a regular-season luxury but a postseason necessity.
The Timberwolves didn't just win a game that night in Denver. They broke a curse, ended a title defense, and proved that a 20-point lead in the NBA is never actually safe.