- Anthony Edwards scored 27 points on 8-of-17 shooting in Game 6.
- Nikola Jokić put up 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting in Game 6.
- Karl-Anthony Towns had 10 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists in Game 6.
The NBA odds currently give the Denver Nuggets the second-best chance of winning the NBA Finals this season, and the basketball betting lines have them favoured to win Game 7 at home over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Game 7 Preview, Predictions, Odds
The Timberwolves blew out the Nuggets 115-70 to force a Game 7 after losing three straight games.
The spread favours the Nuggets with -4.5 odds to win with -200 on the moneyline.
How Minnesota Shut Down Nikola Jokić
Denver has exploited Rudy Gobert’s defensive weaknesses in pulling him away from the rim for much of this series.
Nikola Jokić also simply bullied the four-time Defensive Player of the Year inside the paint with his physicality and footwork.
However, Minnesota changed up their defensive game plan in Game 6, as Karl-Anthony Towns was tasked with guarding Jokić 1-on-1 for most of the game – seven minutes and 26 seconds to be exact.
Towns limited the three-time MVP to 3-of-9 shooting, as he was largely keeping Jokić near the perimeter and either forcing him to settle for 3-pointers or long-contested 2-pointers.
“The Joker” had a couple of easy post-up opportunities on Towns, but “Big KAT” stood his ground, absorbing every blow and perfectly anticipating which way Jokić was going while using his incredible length to force Jokić into misses on attempts he usually converts with ease.
Towns held all of his opponents to just 5-of-17 shooting on the night.
Gobert guarded Jokić for just two minutes and 34 seconds, but Jokić shot just 1-of-2 on “The Stifle Tower.”
Gobert defended Aaron Gordon for five minutes and 18 seconds, as Gordon shot 4-of-7 on Gobert including two 3-pointers. If you’re Minnesota though, you live with Gordon taking 3-pointers considering he shot under 30% on those attempts during the regular season.
The Nuggets tried to run their usual pick-and-roll sets with Gordon and Jokić to exploit Gobert’s weaknesses, but instead of switching, Gobert would duck under the screen to keep Towns on Jokić.
Jokić finished with 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting. While Minnesota successfully contained Jokić, they allowed Denver to get off 36 3-point shot attempts. However, the Nuggets only made seven of them, with many of those misses being wide-open attempts.
Jamal Murray managed just 10 points on 4-of-18 shooting.
Key Players Step Up for Minnesota
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 27 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Jaden McDaniels broke out with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Mike Conley returned after a one-game absence to put up 13 points and five assists.
Ant-Man is game 7️⃣ ready pic.twitter.com/QY2dkTpMZe
— BetMGM Canada (@BetMGMCanada) May 17, 2024
Conley’s presence allows Edwards and his other teammates to get free since the Nuggets’ defence has to account for his shooting, playmaking, and basketball IQ. Conley also held his opponents to 2-of-10 shooting.
Towns finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Gobert added eight points and 14 rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Series Prediction
The Timberwolves have a championship nucleus in place, but Game 7 will come down to how well they can continue to limit Jokić.
Jokić is the best player in the world for a reason, as he proved in this series that his presence alone can lead the Nuggets to wins.
Minnesota’s defence is also going to have to continue to neutralize Gordon as the lead ball handler in pick-and-roll sets or as an off-ball threat near the rim and force Murray into difficult shots.
With momentum in Minnesota’s favour, I expect them to win this series in Denver.
Best Bet: Minnesota Timberwolves to win Game 7 (-110)