April 26 2023 Stars Lead Nuggets Past Wolves Into West Semis

2023 NBA Western Conference First Round - Timberwolves vs. Nuggets

April 26, 2023 Stars lead Nuggets past Wolves into West semis

Steve Smith analyzes the performances of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray as the Denver Nuggets defeat the Timberwolves in game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led the Denver Nuggets to a 119-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round series Tuesday night, advancing to the second round.

Jokic finished with 30 points, 23 rebounds and 10 assists for his 13th triple-double of the season, while Murray added 26 points and eight assists. Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 28 points, while D'Angelo Russell added 22 points and nine assists. The Nuggets led by as many as 26 points in the second half, but the Timberwolves cut the lead to 10 with 3:45 remaining. However, Jokic and Murray made big plays down the stretch to seal the victory.

The Nuggets will now face the No. 1-seed Phoenix Suns in the second round. The Suns swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round. The Nuggets have not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2009.

Conclusion: The Nuggets' victory was a testament to the team's resilience and the star power of Jokic and Murray. The Timberwolves played hard and never gave up, but they were simply outmatched in the end. The Nuggets will now face a tough challenge in the Suns, but they have shown that they are capable of beating anyone when they are playing at their best.