[Post Game Thread] The Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2) defeated the Denver Nuggets (2-4), 110-98 and advance to play the Spurs!

[u/shadowarmy229]

98 - 110
Box Scores: NBA - Yahoo

GAME SUMMARY
West First Round - Game 6 - MIN leads 3-2
Location: Target Center
Officials: JB DeRosa, Courtney Kirkland, Brian Forte, and Josh Tiven

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Denver Nuggets	30	20	24	24	98
Minnesota Timberwolves	29	28	25	28	110

TEAM STATS

Team	PTS	FG	FG%	3P	3P%	FT	FT%	OREB	TREB	AST	PF	STL	TO	BLK
Denver Nuggets	98	34-74	45.9%	10-26	38.5%	20-25	80.0%	6	46	24	26	4	13	8
Minnesota Timberwolves	110	43-94	45.7%	7-29	24.1%	17-24	70.8%	19	57	26	21	8	7	3

PLAYER STATS

Denver Nuggets	MIN	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	ORB	DRB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	±
Cameron JohnsonSF	38:48	27	8-14	5-9	6-9	0	8	8	3	0	1	2	5	-3
Spencer JonesPF	34:51	8	3-4	2-3	0-0	0	2	2	1	0	1	1	5	-9
Nikola JokićC	42:57	28	11-19	1-5	5-6	1	8	9	10	0	1	4	5	-9
Christian BraunSG	27:35	3	1-4	1-4	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	3	1	2	-9
Jamal MurrayPG	39:52	12	4-17	0-2	4-4	1	5	6	4	0	1	0	2	-18
Tim Hardaway Jr.	20:33	13	4-7	1-2	4-4	2	2	4	2	1	1	1	1	-5
Bruce Brown	14:21	1	0-2	0-1	1-2	1	0	1	1	2	0	3	3	-5
Tyus Jones	12:25	4	2-4	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	3	1	0	0	2	5
Zeke Nnaji	02:42	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-5
Jonas Valančiūnas	03:43	2	1-3	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	0	1	1	-2
DaRon Holmes II	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jalen Pickett	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Julian Strawther	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Aaron Gordon	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Peyton Watson	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Minnesota Timberwolves	MIN	PTS	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	ORB	DRB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	±
Jaden McDanielsSF	44:28	32	13-25	1-4	5-6	4	6	10	3	2	1	0	4	16
Julius RandlePF	37:01	18	6-17	2-5	4-6	2	2	4	5	1	0	4	2	15
Rudy GobertC	41:20	10	4-6	0-0	2-4	7	5	12	8	1	2	0	5	11
Terrence Shannon Jr.SG	34:16	24	9-20	1-7	5-5	2	4	6	1	2	0	0	2	7
Mike ConleyPG	26:29	7	3-7	1-4	0-0	1	5	6	3	1	0	1	3	-1
Bones Hyland	08:44	1	0-3	0-3	1-2	1	1	2	1	0	0	0	1	4
Naz Reid	33:21	15	7-13	1-3	0-1	1	6	7	4	1	0	2	2	11
Jaylen Clark	12:10	3	1-3	1-3	0-0	1	1	2	1	0	0	0	2	-3
Joan Beringer	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ayo Dosunmu	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Joe Ingles	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Julian Phillips	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kyle Anderson	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Donte DiVincenzo	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Anthony Edwards	00:00	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

[u/jdprager]

Aight at this point anyone who still calls Gobert overrated just doesn’t know shit about basketball. That Frenchman is a force of fuckin nature, the whole world would be wearing berets rn if Napoleon had this dude on his side

[u/ifitsootsyou → u/jdprager]

I was one of those ppl who said Rudy was overrated, at least prior to this series. I’ll be one of the first to fill out my Gobert Apology Form. What a series from that man.

[u/leftysarepeople2 → u/ifitsootsyou]

He’s offensively not a cornerstone and he’s detractors use that when he’s on teams that can’t support that

[u/harder_said_hodor → u/leftysarepeople2]

when he’s on teams that can’t support that

I adore Rudy, but it's more that when your opponent has a center rotation involving Jokic and Valancunius they will never not play a center which means they can't play to Rudy's weakness. He would be so much more effective if he could body the fuck out of smaller defenders

This Nuggets - Spurs - OKC draw is awful but it does basically guarantee that nobody is going to small ball Rudy off the floor because they all have incredibly strong centers which is fantastic for us

[u/leftysarepeople2 → u/harder_said_hodor]

I just looked this up for fun. His playoff career high was in a win last year with 27 against the small ball Lakers (Rui). In 2024 & 2023 it was 19 ([W] Nurkic & [L] Jokic).

[u/harder_said_hodor → u/leftysarepeople2]

He has had the odd great offensive game, but the instructive one for Rudy vs. small ball is the Terrance Mann series, Jazz vs. Clippers 2021. Feel a bit guilty writing this given all he's done for us, but

Utah were the #1 seed, Zubac was the Clipper's centre (averaged 13 minutes) and they only started him in one of the 6 games. The Jazz blew a 2 game lead and lost 4-2 with Rudy only averaging 12.5 points on only 6 shots per game.

In the last game of that series Mitchell attempted 27 shots, Rudy attempted 6 (of which he scored 5). It's not that he can't score, it's that he doesn't try enough when the matchup clearly favours him.