McDaniels Drops 32 as Timberwolves Eliminate Nuggets in Game 6 to Advance to West Semifinals.

Jaden McDaniels delivered a dominant two-way performance with 32 points and 10 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated the Denver Nuggets with a 110-98 Game 6 victory Thursday night in Minneapolis. Short-handed and counted out by many entering the matchup, Minnesota leaned on toughness, defense and physicality to close out the first-round series despite missing key guards Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu because of injuries. Terrence Shannon Jr., inserted into the starting lineup, provided a major spark with 24 points while Rudy Gobert controlled the interior with 10 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle and Naz Reid also helped Minnesota dominate the paint, where the Timberwolves outscored Denver 64-40 and finished with a commanding rebounding advantage. Minnesota’s energy overwhelmed Denver throughout the night, with McDaniels setting the tone on both ends of the floor. The versatile forward hounded Jamal Murray defensively and repeatedly attacked the Nuggets offensively, embracing the intensity of the rivalry that has continued to build between the two Western Conference foes. Nikola Jokic finished with 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, narrowly missing a triple-double, while Cameron Johnson added 27 points. Murray, however, struggled to find rhythm under constant pressure from McDaniels and ended the night with just 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting.

The Timberwolves seized control late in the fourth quarter behind Shannon’s aggressive drives and McDaniels’ clutch shot-making. With just over a minute remaining, McDaniels buried a mid-range jumper to extend Minnesota’s lead before jumping a Jokic pass moments later to help seal the victory at the free-throw line. Minnesota’s defense once again proved to be the difference. Gobert consistently disrupted Jokic around the basket, while the Timberwolves’ length and physical play forced Denver into difficult possessions throughout the night. The loss marks another disappointing postseason exit for the Nuggets, who have struggled to consistently surround Jokic with enough support since their 2023 NBA championship run. Denver forced a Game 6 with a strong performance earlier in the series, but Minnesota responded with one of its grittiest efforts of the season to advance. The sixth-seeded Timberwolves now move on to face the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Monday.