The Minnesota Timberwolves are moving on in the NBA playoffs, and they did it in style. By taking down the Denver Nuggets 110-98 in Game 6, the Wolves clinched the best-of-seven series 4-2, punching their ticket to the Western Conference semi-finals. There, they'll face a familiar foe: the San Antonio Spurs.
The game was a nail-biter from the start, with the Timberwolves holding a slim 57-50 lead at halftime. Denver's three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, came out firing in the third quarter, dropping 14 points to keep the Nuggets within striking distance. Jokic finished the night with a solid 28 points and 10 assists, but his stat line wasn't the only thing making headlines.
With just under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, tensions boiled over. Jokic got into a shoving match with Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark, and big man Naz Reid quickly joined the fray. The result? Technical fouls for all three players. This incident came hot on the heels of Jokic's ejection in Game 4 for starting a similar scuffle. After the loss, a visibly frustrated Jokic told reporters, "I needed to play better. I must play better."
On the Timberwolves' side, Jaden McDaniels was the star of the show, pouring in a career-high 32 points. The team could also get a major boost for Monday's opener against the Spurs, as Anthony Edwards is expected to return from injury. For a team that's been scrapping all season, this kind of momentum is exactly what they need heading into the next round.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks made history of their own. They demolished the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 to win their series 4-2, and the numbers are staggering. The 51-point margin of victory is a franchise record for the playoffs, and their 47-point halftime lead? That's the largest in NBA postseason history. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, while OG Anunoby led all scorers with 29 points. The Knicks have now reached the semi-finals for the fourth straight year, and they'll await the winner of the Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers series.
Speaking of the Sixers, they kept their season alive with a 106-93 win in Game 6, thanks to 30 points from Tyrese Maxey and 23 from Paul George. That sets up a winner-take-all Game 7 in Boston on Saturday—a classic showdown that fans won't want to miss.