*Minneapolis is going to party like it’s 2004. For the first time in two decades, the Minnesota Timberwolves are back in the NBA Western Conference finals. Also, the Indiana Pacers are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The T-Wolves, who trailed by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, stormed back to dethrone the defending champion Denver Nuggets in Game 7 on Sunday night, 98-90. In the process, they overcame a 15-point halftime deficit, the largest such comeback in a Game 7 in NBA playoff history. With Minnesota’s 22-year-old breakout star, Anthony Edwards, struggling through a 6-for-24 shooting night, Wolves four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns turned in the most impressive performance of his nine-year career. Towns’ dominant play and clutch scoring in the fourth quarter fueled the Timberwolves’ remarkable rally.
“Every game, every moment, we believed we could do it,” Towns said in a post-game interview. “This is for the fans, for the city. We’ve been waiting for this moment.”
The Wolves will face the Dallas Mavericks for the right to represent the West in the NBA Finals. Minnesota will host Game 1 on Wednesday. The Timberwolves open as -150 favorites to win the series over the Mavericks, who check in at +130, per ESPN BET odds.
Meanwhile, in another stunning Game 7 on Sunday (05-19-24), the Indiana Pacers set a playoff record in their rout of the New York Knicks. In a road game at Madison Square Garden, the Pacers had one of the greatest shooting halves in the 77-year history of the NBA. When the stunned Knicks tried to recover with a second-half push, the Pacers’ superstar and their super-sub delivered the final blows.
The result was a 130-109 Pacers victory, eliminating the Knicks by finishing off four victories in five games after falling behind 2-0 in the series. The Pacers shot 67.1% overall, the highest field goal percentage for a playoff game in NBA history. Adding to the Knicks’ misery, star guard Jalen Brunson suffered a broken left hand during the third quarter.
The Pacers will head to Boston to open the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics on Tuesday.
“Well, we’re the uninvited guest,” coach Rick Carlisle said after the Pacers completed their second consecutive series win over a higher seed. “Here we are. When you win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, you’ve made history. It’s very, very difficult to do.”
Both the Timberwolves and the Pacers have defied the odds, setting up thrilling conference finals matchups that promise more unforgettable moments in this year’s NBA playoffs.
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