Game 6: Wolves wanted it more as Jaden McDaniels, bench players propel shorthanded team past Denver Nuggets

Jaden McDaniels is a bad man. “Bad” in the sense that you don’t want to mess with him, which is difficult, because McDaniels plays basketball, one of the messier team sports. And he wanted to mess with the Denver Nuggets, the heavily favored opponent of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA playoffs. After the Wolves beat the Nuggets to tie the best of seven series at 1-1, McDaniels called out many Nuggets players by name as “bad defenders.” “Bad” in the sense that they did not sufficiently put their heart and soul and identity into deterring the Wolves offense. The nonchalant, matter-of-fact way he said it further rubbed it in. It was trash talk of the best kind, because McDaniels proceeded to speak it and then play it into existence. He scored a career-high 32 points Thursday night at Target Center to lead a dreadfully shorthanded Wolves team to a series-clinching victory, ending Denver’s season and propelling the Wolves into the second round against San Antonio. McDaniels’ game was reminiscent of Kevin Garnett, which is about the highest compliment one can pay a member of the Timberwolves. KG, who tops all the major statistical categories in Wolves franchise history, was the type of player who could score 32, grab 10 rebounds and still have the best part of his performance be his maniacally pressurized defense and his fiery leadership. McDaniels was exactly that type of player. The Wolves needed every bit of it. Already down their current superstar Anthony Edwards and Ant’s impactful backcourt mate, Donte DiVicenzo, the team learned shortly before the game’s 8:30 p.m. start Thursday that a calf injury would prevent a third playmaking guard, Ayo Dosunmu, from suiting up. Meanwhile, playmaking combo forward Kyle Anderson was sidelined with an illness. Related: How the Timberwolves sparked a season-saving Game 2 comeback over the Nuggets in Denver With their offensive initiation pruned beyond health, the Wolves stuck to the formula that won them this series. The defense of McDaniels significantly limited the prowess of All-Star guard Jamal Murray while center Rudy Gobert was doing the same to three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. And the Wolves reduced their turnovers, depriving the Nuggets of easy points. Last, but certainly not least, the Wolves wanted to win the series more than Denver, were more willing to sacrifice, sublimate and seep out buckets of sweat equity to get their victories. On Thursday, with the collective mindset of scrubs scrabbling to stay relevant, they folded their talents into teamwork and collectively snatched every advantage at their disposal. The frequently clumsy and normally offensively restricted Gobert had 8 assists. Terrence Shannon, Jr., the frequently injured and as-frequently disappointing wing during the regular season, rose to the occasion with 24 points and improved defense over 35 minutes. To compensate for a lack of perimeter playmakers, Wolves coach Chris Finch went big, on a few rotations in both halves, deploying a lineup consisting of five forwards – Gobert, Julius Randle, McDaniels, Naz Reid and Shannon. “I wanted to get my five most talented players on the floor together,” the coach explained simply. Despite the lack of a point guard, the unit thrived, eschewing customary positional responsibilities and leaning into the greater good. All season long, the Wolves had teased their potential with merely intermittent deliveries, shredding their credibility as a team to be taken seriously in the postseason. But as the injuries mounted and the stakes rose, they actually labored to finally become the force they claimed to be all along. Their wisdom and work ethic made Denver look lazy and “soft” by comparison. Game Six was a gleaming capstone, full of selfless grit and ingenuity. It confirmed that the four victories in this series were as collectively inspiring and multifaceted as any the Wolves have played in their history. The fan bas