Despite missing their biggest stars, the Minnesota Timberwolves used a ‘big’ strategy to bully the Nuggets out of the playoffs. Yankee Scores breaks down how the underdogs bit back.

Minnesota Timberwolves overpowered Denver Nuggets 110-98 in Game 6 of their playoff series Thursday.

Jaden McDaniels had 32 points with 10 rebounds and Terrence Shannon Jr. added 24 points in a surprising starting lineup due to injuries for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Dominance in the Paint

Injuries to their top trio of guards meant that Minnesota had no choice but to go big, as the likes of Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid allowed the Timberwolves to have a significant advantage in the paint and on the glass, 64-40 and 50-33, respectively.

As the sixth-seeded team in the Western Conference, Minnesota is set to begin Round Two against San Antonio at home on Monday, after the Spurs completed their first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers in five games.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets in scoring with 28 points alongside his 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Jamal Murray had an off game, unable to get loose from McDaniels to manage only 12 points from 4-of-17 shooting. Cameron Johnson provided additional 27 points for Denver, making 10-of-27 shots from downtown, but it wasn’t enough as they were outrivaled by a determined opponent.

Minnesota lost Ayo Dosunmu to a suspension alongside Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo who were injured, losing the three players responsible for creating scoring opportunities.

what. a. DUB. pic.twitter.com/8LgxkeQK6v

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 1, 2026

The X-Factor: Terrence Shannon Jr.

In order to secure the victory in Game 6, more defense and energy was needed from Minnesota, and they got just that. Shannon played aggressively fast, creating space around the basket in a way that Denver simply could not match. McDaniels was playing like a true villain, creating problems at both ends of the court, while being fueled by the home crowd.

Denver’s Offensive Struggles

The latter helped Shannon create a three-point play with 1:43 left which put his team up six, before McDaniels drilled a crucial midrange pull-up from 19 feet giving Minnesota a 7-point advantage 1:06 later. Finally, he stole a rushed pass from Jokic and gave the Timberwolves momentum for a few last free throws.

Since the end of Denver’s five-game triumph over Minnesota in the opening round in 2023 and their subsequent championship, they did not seem able to find that same level of production to help Nikola Jokic, despite winning Game 5 by a large margin on Monday.