The 2003-04 season was the last time the Minnesota Timberwolves saw the Western Conference Finals. Two decades later and the young and hungry Wolves were looking to knock off the reigning champs on the road.

In a playoff-defining Game 7, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jaden McDaniels, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves took down the Denver Nuggets in a crazy Game 7. Let’s dive into Minnesota’s historic feat in big time win in Denver.

Timberwolves make history in comeback win

Minnesota started the night slowly as Edwards struggled to find his rhythm early. Towns picked up the slack, though, as the talented seven-footer had one of his best games of the entire playoffs so far. His scoring in the first half came in timely waves, allowing the Wolves to stay within striking distance. Despite KAT’s early scoring, the Timberwolves still trailed 53-38 at halftime. That 15-point deficit seemed daunting following a poor end to the first half.

However, Minnesota proved once again to be second half warriors. The Wolves' defense lifted up a notch as the Nuggets scored just 13 points in the third frame. Minnesota's suffocating defense and revitalized offensive attack allowed them to crawl all the way back to just a one-point deficit going into the final quarter. The Timberwolves continued to ride the momentum as Edwards was able to assert himself more down the stretch, while Rudy Gobert hit an unreal post fadeaway with the shot clock winding down.

Denver’s championship pedigree was nowhere to be seen as their big lead melted away in front of their home crowd. A thunderous Karl-Anthony Towns putback dunk sealed the deal as Minnesota went on to win 98-90 silencing the skeptics. The Wolves’ big comeback win marked a crazy first in NBA history.

The 2023-24 Timberwolves became the first team in the history of the NBA to win a Game 7 after heading into halftime with a 12 point deficit or more.

Timberwolves’ defense does it again

The biggest factor behind the Wolves’ shocking comeback dub was their stifling defense. The Timberwolves did a great job, prompting Nikola Jokic to settle for threes as the Serbian big man shot a woeful 2-10 from deep on Sunday night. While his three-point shot wasn’t falling, the Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic duo was still deadly as ever.

The two Nuggets’ stars combined for 69 points on 26-55 (47.3%) shooting. While the duo was excellent as expected, Minnesota’s off-ball rotations were crisp as the rest of the Denver roster struggled mightily. Outside of Jokic and Murray, the next high-scorer for Denver was Michael Porter Jr. who mustered only seven points on 12 shot attempts.

Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined for a dreadful nine points on a collective 4-of-12 shooting effort. With Denver in pursuit of a chance to repeat, the role players could not deliver. Credit to KAT for his work on Jokic this series. However, Minnesota’s team defense this series is a fantastic homage to the value Rudy Gobert provided as an off-ball roamer and rim protector. Naz Reid also stepped up big time in the clutch as the Wolves combined for an impressive six blocks on Sunday night.

With the Timberwolves turning their eyes to the Dallas Mavericks for the Western Conference Finals, they’ll now have to find ways to slow down Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. With the defending champs now eliminated, Minnesota has a real shot at glory.