The Timberwolves STOLE THE SCRIPT from the Nuggets in Game 7 comeback! – Chiney Ogwumike | NBA Today

The Timberwolves STOLE THE SCRIPT from the Nuggets in Game 7 comeback! – Chiney Ogwumike | NBA Today

11 months ago we sat at this very desk and all of us were talking about if the nuggets are going to be the first team to repeat in the 2020s and then Anthony Edwards and Company they said hey we got some different plans here the Wolves they wiped out the Champs in game seven last night remember that home teams win game sevens what 75 7 75% of the time they win every time well they had a 97% chance and they’re up 20 in the third quarter so we’re going to pick it up Minnesota down 14 here Murray Cuts back door tries to laid in gets blocked by goar Edwards takes it out in transition kicks it up and gets it to go this was not a clean game for an Edwards but he made plays down the stretch watch him just the explosion and then also the unselfish nature his teammates did not let him down knock and down shot and that was a theme for him here uh in the third here Rich he was getting his teammates going well he had to and that’s the evolution of every superstar you even saw some sound from him saying hey keep shooting I can’t I keep shooting I’m going to get in my back but the sound said it he was telling guys I’m going to hit you I’m going to hit you stay ready and then he stays here with Murray pokes the ball away and look he said I’m going to get it into my back he did look that’s it that was the play for me but then also I think this was the moment because we’ve seen countless times when they need a shot when it’s coming down the wire end of quarter he will get again into his b you hear that this is Denver there were so many Timberwolves fans that were in that building the fourth quarter here the game tied at 72 Mike connley he’d never won a game seven before come in here for the big moments and oh this was it this was the game deci the turn around last laugh Carl Anthony to the bench can’t believe it and honestly neither could cat could cat and ant take a listen yeah I think I think when Rudy hit the turnar around I was like yeah we probably got him I didn’t know he had that he was treating yid like yids watch though Nas Reed this is why they’re all getting his name tattooed on him I was going to say should I put it in Sharpie right now today like that’s but do no not so quick cookies taking but again it was just the bald movement late game and then finally once this hit I was like uhoh Malika he let a naysayer no is that what he was saying right there I mean almost paraphrasing doing a little doing a little lip read there too and this is the moment Carl Anthony Town’s back in the game with five fowls and Aunt saying look at the name on my chest they were having fun after the game damn I’m I’m trash what you me 6 for 24 oh you was I was look at me look look at me two for 10 damn I think I think this was just a a a real showing of Timber W basketball as finest you know where it’s a team effort uh you know we got hype for players that we have me him included on this table but like I said we have we don’t have a big three we got a big 15 and usually in NBA history it says you have to lose and lose big before you win what is it about this team that says we lost last year yeah but that that that’s different you have to lose at a bigger stage usually teams usually it’s the playoffs we lost last year we lost the last two years God damn how much more we got to lose how much you want us to lose we losing for 20 years yo I mean early Contender for best post game this nationally televised all of their post but when you’re looking at this comeback for the ages can you blame him the Timberwolves that was the largest halftime deficit overcome in a game seven win in NBA history I asked Mike connley how he felt about that he said I was looking up at the scoreboard like yo we’re down 20 you can see where all this Stacks up I’m impressed Kendrick what was the most impressive part of this comeback for the Wolves oh everything and look let me start off by saying this okay when I’m looking at Anthony EDS in this Minnesota temp will say they are on the verge of having one of the greatest runs in playoff history if you start back to last series and what they did to Kevin Durant Devin book and Bradley Bill they swept them not one single game they let off they let them get okay move on to the defending champs and we’re talking about joic the three-time MVP the best player in the league okay they have home court advantage what happens they win three games on their home court and have one of the greatest seven greatest game seven performances of all time especially on the defensive side of things that now they’re going on to Luca and Kyrie which I believe they’re going to get past them and then also on to the uh Celtics with Jason Tatum right I believe Tatum and the Celtics are going to represent the Eastern Conference if they accomplish the goal of winning the championship Not only would his team have the greatest run for us team-wise but Anthony Edwards will have the greatest individual postseason run one of the greatest individual postseason runs in NBA history well agreed with there’s still a lot more you know you got two more runs back up to last yeah they got two more series I’m with you I’m with you perk if they could pull this off I I I 100% agree La you know it was it two years ago we were saying it about Jason Tatum if he was able to pull it off my thing about this this series the the the whole it was not what anybody expected if you would have told me that Denver was going to lose three games on their home floor they hadn’t lost they hadn’t lost a game there in a year and a half and so it was just special to watch them and then to be down the way they were to come back and having an absolute terrible night he was trash he knows it that’s the thing about players like we know when we’re trash we know like damn I couldn’t make a shot I appreciate the ability to laugh at you well it’s easy to laugh when you won and you’re sitting on that photo man he could have missed every shot and he would he wouldn’t have been upset he would have been smiling and happy yeah Richard you’re right and I I know perk went on the macro level right I want to take it micro when it comes I’m going take mic because what’s the most shocking thing or surprising thing it’s that they stole the script from the Denver Nuggets the Denver Nuggets over the entire year they were able to beat you with these runs like they’d go 20 and five or something like that the Lakers series but that’s where they got you that’s what the t-wolves did to me and that was the most impressive everyone was calling for Rudy Gober at half I mean everyone was pointing out he’s a liability but guess what what I love about this squad they don’t care they believe in themselves it’s the surprise it’s the unlikelies by having that irrational confidence that allows Rudy to still make that turnaround fade away that allows ant Edwards on a bad night to be able to meet it was that it was the steal it was Nas Reed holding Nikola yic to 0 for three in the fourth quarter it was their defense which this was the best starting lineup in basketball this year the Denver Nuggets they were minus 60 on the end of the day isn’t that it the Denver Nuggets they had five they had they essentially had five players six players last night that they were looking to rely on and really the top seven eight maybe with Kyle Anderson of the Wolves I I don’t know what to say honestly we’re still in shock and let me say this the Nuggets they should be disappointed they should be frustrated I get it that was if you’re talking about being the defending champs and you got punched in the mouth first and the worst thing in my opinion for the whole postseason for the Denver Nuggets is that they got the Los Angel Lakers first once they got a team that they had beaten 10 straight times that they could be down every single game and half the the Nuggets didn’t start their postseason until game three of this series that’s when the Nuggets started their postseason and at that point in time you’re behind the gun and there’s nothing else that you can do other than fight back and then they just didn’t have enough game they ran out of they ran out of juice in the in the seventh I think that because you got to get playoff ready and one series can prepare you for the next series right the Lakers series did not prepare them and they did not show up to play the way they needed to and it got punched in the mouth in this series and they were fighting uphill the whole way I totally agree but I the the Timberwolves took this game oh 1,000% but I also don’t believe that the Denver Nuggets the Denver Nuggets were not locked in the way they should and they lost control it’s like a momentum swing to to today’s point about Rudy goar being all over the place in the fourth quarter just having an excellent fourth for them one second perk right go fouled out with two minutes and 5 seconds left and all of a sudden you’re thinking that this is going to be the longest 2 minutes and 5 Seconds of any teams playoff life because still at that point in the back of my mind I am thinking the Denver Nuggets are going to come back somehow some way and win this game and that’s the confidence you have when you have the three-time MVP on your team perk let’s just take a little trip back down memory lane right because the last and only other time the wolves made it to the West finals it was 20 years ago to the day that Kevin Garnett he stupped the stat sheet 32 points 21 rebounds five blocks four steals in a clinching victory over the Sacramento Kings two decades later and Minnesota has a chance to make their first Finals appearance in franchise history they’ve been one of the best stories I think of the season they were 30 to1 to win the West entering the year which was 11th in the conference and then Denver was the clear-cut favorite to win the West heading into the Seas wow I didn’t know that’s how far back they were to start is that kind of crazy to see the the leaps that start where Richard Richard Richard let’s take a listen in Denver after their Quest was cut short you’re going to want to hear Michael Malone no I don’t how hard is it just to absorb a loss like this after after going ahead by 20 next question man the season’s over that’s what’s hard being up 20 season’s over you don’t understand that the season’s over it’s hard stupid questions now look this has been the talk of everything the last you know a couple hours especially this morning I think I understand the emotion I completely understand the emotion players are often asked to get up there and give that emotion every single time the issue here is that’s not a dumbass question that’s a good question that’s a great question they want you to talk about it and the thing that I think a lot of people have issue with is the majority of time coaches they take a step back when a team wins a championship they take a step back Mike Malone was front and center and he should be if you want to be front and center do that be the guy that celebrates your guys that’s cracking jokes that’s kind of you know throwing Jabs at the Lakers saying that be that guy that’s cool but be that guy all the time very similar to ant Edwards an Edwards is always an Edwards and so I think the disappointing thing here is you can be the C you we’ve celebrated you we should give you the flowers you have the three time MVP we are giving Denver Nuggets their flowers but then to get up there and to say that that question is is stupid to say that that’s not a good question no no no no you’re in your feelings you’re in your emotions and that’s okay I can support that but let’s let’s also call a spade a spade that was as a coach you just expect better you should be a gentleman in success and you should be a man in Failure yeah they got better from their three-time MVP Nicola jokic’s response he said yeah this was a team that was built to take us down this is a team that has allst stars that has defensive players of the year and so when you see that composure on one side I was not surprised because we have gotten those spicy responses the last year but that was not the time nor place for you to celebrate or commemorate even a season that has fallen short it’s not the sentiment it’s the disrespect that stuck with me Park you you know what it’s easy when everything is Peaches and Cream right to address the media especially if you’re a player if you’re a coach okay but look when adversity hit then your true character is going to show and think about this series right we had a we had an incident in game what was it game two that Jamal Murray threw a heat pack on the floor and the official he was frustrated we saw Michael Malone getting in Mark Davis face running off the bench who he should have got a take technical foul now all of a sudden you blow a 20 point well yeah you blow a 20-point lead and all of a sudden now you go to the media right he rushed to the media because he wanted to get it out the way because he really didn’t want to talk about it instead of taking a step back and saying you know what let me gather myself let me have a moment for myself before I go and address the media and then you disrespect the reporter right so now showing your true character Michael Malone he has to apologize okay because that was just flat out respectful that reporter was doing his job that was a great question that he asked and it was an honest question that he asked and Michael Malone should have answered it with an honest answer not getting in his feelings I understand right the great Ray Allen always said I didn’t never like to do postgame interviews especially after we lost because I may say something crazy so he will wait the next day but it’s not always the next day that you have that much time so at the end of the day look I’m not trying to sit up here and say Michael Malone this is to some up who he is as a person I don’t believe that but he did have this moment and he had his moments the Denver Nuggets did in this series because the Minnesota Timberwolves they want you to have pain that’s what they do they want you to have pain and so they had pain he didn’t address it right he needs to apologize well now for the sixth straight season the defending champs they do not reach the Conference Finals in fact the only team that was one of the last four standing that’s back in it this year is the Boston Celtics it’s kind of cool when you think that Anthony Edwards Tyrese halberton Luca donic or Jason Tatum one of those four could be lifting their first Larry O fig this out [Music]

Kendrick Perkins, Richard Jefferson and Chiney Ogwumike join Malika Andrews on NBA Today to discuss their reactions and biggest takeaways from the Minnesota Timberwolves completing a 20-point comeback to overcome the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

0:00 Top plays & moments from Game 7
3:54 Perk: Is this the greatest run in history?
6:06 The Wolves flipped the script in Denver
8:46 Kevin Garnett’s run 20 years ago, today
9:30 Michael Malone lashes out at reporter

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