Minnesota closed out the Western conference first round with a 110-98 home win over Denver at Target Center in front of 18,978 fans. The result sealed the series 4-2 and capped a night where the Timberwolves owned the glass and the tempo.

McDaniels sets the tone, Wolves share the load

Jaden McDaniels led Minnesota with 32 points, 10 rebounds and a clean sheet of turnovers. He shot 13-of-25, added 3 assists, 2 steals and a block, and posted a Sofascore Rating of 8.6.
Rudy Gobert did a bit of everything with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists plus 2 blocks, grabbing 7 offensive boards on his way to an 8.4 Rating.

Support came from Terrence Shannon Jr. who chipped in 24 points and 6 rebounds, Naz Reid with 15 points and 7 rebounds, and Julius Randle’s 18 points and 5 assists. Minnesota’s starters and bench combined for 26 assists and only 7 turnovers.

Why Minnesota controlled Game 6-type minutes

Rebounding and care of the ball told the story. Minnesota won the battle on the boards 50-33, including 19-6 on the offensive glass, generating a 94-75 edge in field‑goal attempts. The Timberwolves turned it over just 7 times compared to Denver’s 13 and spent 38:32 in the lead, stretching the biggest margin to 12.

Shooting splits underline the approach: Minnesota went 36/65 on twos and 7/29 from deep, while Denver hit more threes (10/27) and free throws (20/25) but couldn’t offset the extra possessions.

Nuggets’ standouts couldn’t flip the math

Nikola Jokić delivered 28 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds with a Sofascore Rating of 8.4. Cameron Johnson added 27 points and 8 rebounds, hitting five threes and finishing with an 8.0 Rating. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 13, and Jamal Murray had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists but shot 4-of-17. Denver did register 8 blocks, yet the second‑chance deficit proved too heavy.

How the game flowed by quarter

Denver edged the opening period 30-29, then Minnesota answered 28-20 in the second to take a 57-50 halftime lead. The hosts kept their foot down in the third 25-24 and closed it 28-24 in the fourth. Late free throws from McDaniels and Gobert iced it as the crowd counted down the final seconds.

Minnesota advances from the Western conference first round with a 4-2 series win. For live stats, player metrics and Sofascore Rating updates through the NBA Playoffs, follow the action on Sofascore.