Wolves force Game 7 with 45-point blowout of Nuggets - ESPN

MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards scored 27 points to pull the Minnesota Timberwolves out of their mid-series slump and deliver a flawless 115-70 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night to force a Game 7 in this roller-coaster playoff matchup.

The 45-point win is the largest ever against a defending champion in playoff history, and the second-largest when facing elimination in NBA history, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Denver trailed by as many as 50 points, their largest deficit in any game over the past 25 seasons (regular season and playoffs).

Jaden McDaniels pitched in 21 points and lockdown defense, and Mike Conley had 13 points in his return from injury. Big men Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid combined for 38 rebounds and a relentless effort to keep NBA MVP Nikola Jokic to a relatively quiet 22 points.

The decisive game for a spot in the Western Conference finals is in Denver on Sunday night.

«They hit us first, they hit us second, and they hit us third,» Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. «Give them credit, they did what they needed to do to keep this series alive and bring it back to Denver for a game 7.

»Disappointing loss, anytime you get down by 50 in a playoff game. That's never an enjoyable experience."

History suggests Thursday night's blowout loss doesn't necessarily spell doom for Denver. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Nuggets are the fifth team in NBA history to lose Game 6 by 30 or more points to force a Game 7. Three of the previous four teams bounced back to win Game 7, most recently in 2018, when the Cleveland Cavaliers lost by 34 in Game 6 of the opening round against the Indiana Pacers before pulling out the series.

Jamal Murray struggled again with