To open November, the Timberwolves played the Denver Nuggets after suffering a bad loss to the Dallas Mavericks, whom they also lost to in the Western Conference finals back in May. Denver came into Minnesota at 2-2, with both their wins coming in overtime against the Brooklyn Nets and the Toronto Raptors. The previous meeting between Minnesota and Denver was the historic game seven comeback- the game that gave Minnesota the birth to the conference finals. But that game was held in Denver, and the last time Denver came to Minnesota was game 6, where Minnesota destroyed Denver 115-70. Despite their competitive rivalry, Minnesota felt ready for them.
Minnesota got off to a good start in the first quarter, winning 33-29. When 3x MVP Nikola Jokic subbed out of the game to start the second quarter, Minnesota took over, at one point going up 16. However, When Jokic returned to the game, the Nuggets stormed back, and by halftime, the Wolves only found themselves up 3, 64-61. The third quarter pretty much went back and forth, but when Nuggets’ point guard Jamal Murray went down to concussion protocol and got ruled out for the rest of the game, Minnesota had their chance to close it out in the 4th quarter.
At the start of the final period, Minnesota looked like they were on the right track, going up 99-87 with 10:51 left. Leads can change quickly, though, and Denver is too good of a team to give up. The Nuggets went on a 27-5 run from the 10:51 mark to the 3:36 mark, and suddenly they were winning 114-104. This was a late Halloween scare for Minnesota because they had held the lead for most of the game. They desperately needed someone to step up, and they found it in the wolves’ unsung hero, Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
NAW hadn’t scored before that, but Chris Finch decided to keep him in during the closing minutes, something he’s done in the past few games. NAW nailed a 3 to cut the lead to 7, then stole the ball from Jokic on the other end. Alexander-Walker went to the free-throw line on the next possession, bringing the lead to 5. Jokic did score a pair of free throws on the next possession to move the lead back to 7, but that became Denver’s final points. NAW hit another three to cut it to 4, then Anthony Edwards scored five straight, and Rudy Gobert hit two free throws to ice the game, cementing an improbable comeback in the last 3 minutes. Wolves won 119-116.
Wolves’ newcomer Julius Randle continues to have a phenomenal start to the 2024-25 campaign, this game putting up 23 points, seven assists, and six rebounds on 61% from the field. Anthony Edwards remains an early MVP candidate, recording 29 points for himself (18 in the first half), four rebounds, and assists. The absolute best player tonight wasn’t either of them, though, because Rudy Gobert had a dominant performance the whole way through. His stat line: 17 points, 14 rebounds, one steal, two blocks, and 70% from the field. But his defensive efforts don’t show up on the stat sheet. His presence contested shots left and right, and he was the 4-time defensive player of the year, making sure he’s still solidified as one of the best rim protectors in the league.
Overall, it was an excellent bounceback game that the Wolves needed, with great performances all around. Minnesota will look to remain among the Western Conference contenders.
