Undermanned Wolves find a way, eliminate Nuggets 110-98 in Game 6

Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune on May 1, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

MINNEAPOLIS — Since Game 4 of this series, the Minnesota Timberwolves have suffered blow after blow on their injury report. They entered Game 6 down four key starters and rotation players as Ayo Dosunmu (right calf tightness) and Kyle Anderson (illness) joined the previously injured Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo.

The outmanned Wolves laid it all out on the Target Center floor in trying to clinch the series without having to go back for Game 7 in Denver.

A team that didn’t always bring the intensity in the regular season brought it in this series, and they refused to roll over despite all the injuries in Game 6. Somehow, someway, these battered Wolves are moving on with a gutsy 110-98 victory and a 4-2 series victory over the Nuggets.

They move on to face the San Antonio Spurs with Game 1 on Monday in San Antonio. They did so on the lanky back of the man who called out the entire Denver team as “bad defenders” after Game 2: Jaden McDaniels. He backed up his words again with 32 points, 10 rebounds in an exhausting 45 minutes played.

"He talked all series and he backed it up ... all series. That's called legitimate tough," coach Chris Finch said

On the other end of the floor, he had the primary responsibility of stopping Jamal Murray, which he did to the tune of 4-for-17 shooting (12 points), and Finch pointed out that none of those four baskets came with McDaniels on him. The Nuggets hung around thanks to 28 points from Nikola Jokic and a strong night from Cam Johnson, who had 27 points.

But the Wolves responded with tough efforts on offense from McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr., who coach Chris Finch got on for defensive miscues in Game 5.

He got the start and was magnificent with a much-needed 24 points on his ability to attack the rim. Shannon had a three-point play that put the Wolves ahead 103-97 with 1 minutes, 43 seconds to play. From there, McDaniels hit a jumper to put the Wolves ahead 105-98 with 1:06 to play and forced a Denver timeout.

The Wolves swarmed the offensive glass and had the edge there 20-4, a measure of how much they wanted the game. Finch found success in the game going with an all-big lineup of Shannon, Rudy Gobert, McDaniels, Naz Reid and Julius Randle, which closed the first half and second half strong. The Wolves are moving on, and they’ll now wait to see word on Dosunmu, Anderson and even Edwards for their series against the Spurs.