Anthony Edwards overcame a slow start, and the Timberwolves made a strong comeback from a 20-point deficit in the second half to defeat the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 98-90 in Game 7 on Sunday night.
The Timberwolves overcame a 15-point halftime deficit—the largest comeback in a Game 7 in NBA playoff history—thanks to Edwards, who had just four points, no rebounds, and three assists at halftime but finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
His impact was significant despite his 6-of-24 shooting, which included a 2-for-10 performance from the 3-point line.
As the game was ending, Edwards dribbled upcourt and waved goodbye to the crowd.
The Wolves, with 23 points each from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels, advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time in 20 years. They will face the Dallas Mavericks starting Wednesday night at Target Center.
The Nuggets became the fifth consecutive defending champion to fail to reach the conference finals.
With Jamal Murray’s 24 first-half points, the Nuggets built a 53-38 halftime lead, and Murray’s 3-pointer with 10:50 left in the third quarter extended Denver’s lead to 58-38.
