JADEN McDaniels delivered a dominant performance as Minnesota Timberwolves defeated Denver Nuggets, 110-98, in Game 6 of NBA Western Conference first round series on Thursday night (Friday in the Philippines) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
McDaniels finished with a double-double of 32 points and 10 rebounds, while Terrence Shannon Jr. made a surprise start and contributed 24 markers as the Timberwolves wrapped up the best-of-seven series, 4-2.
Hampered by the absence of their top three guards, Minnesota leaned on a bigger lineup, with Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid anchoring the effort to secure the Western Conference semis slot.
The Timberwolves capitalized on their size advantage, outscoring Denver 64-40 in the paint and dominating the boards, 50-33. They will next battle the no. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs.
Nikola Jokic paced the Nuggets with 28 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, while Jamal Murray struggled under McDaniels’ defense, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting.
Cameron Johnson led Denver’s perimeter effort with 27 points, accounting for a significant share of the team’s 10-for-27 shooting from three-point range. However, the Nuggets were unable to match the intensity and inside presence of the Timberwolves.
At Atlanta, OG Anunoby scored 26 of his 29 points in the first half to lead New York Knicks to a historic 140-89 victory over the Hawks and wrap up their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series 4-2.
It was the most points scored by the Knicks in a playoff game and their largest winning margin in the postseason. The only bigger victory margin in club history came earlier this year, when New York routed the Brooklyn Nets 120-66 on Jan. 21.
Mikal Bridges added 24 points and Jalen Brunson had 17 points and eight assists. Karl-Anthony Towns had his second career playoff triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, along with three steals.
Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, stretched their series to a winner-take-all Game 7 after a 106-93 Game 6 win over Boston Celtics. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 30 markers./PN
