The GIST: Heart rates soaring and Stephen A. Smith memes flying — there’s truly nothing like Game 7 Sundays. With history made and the Conference Finals now set, here’s how it happened.
Minnesota Timberwolves upset defending champion Denver Nuggets: After trailing by as many as 20 points, the Wolves stormed back to win Game 7 98–90 and knock MVP Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets out of the playoffs. Minnesota’s comeback was propelled by the explosive confidence of Anthony Edwards and the Wolves’ rock-solid defense, which shut down an exhausted Joker.
- For the first time since 2004 (aka the same year Kelly Clarkson released Since U Been Gone), the Wolves are so moving on to the Western Conference Finals, facing Luka Dončić’s Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
Indiana Pacers shoot the lights out to eliminate NY Knicks: The Pacers fought back from a 3–2 series deficit to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF), capping off the comeback with yesterday’s 130–109 Game 7 win over the injury-plagued Knicks.
- NY notably lost their fearless leader, Jalen Brunson, to an injury in the second half, and Indy shot a playoff record-setting 67.1% from the floor, with all five starters contributing at least 17 points. Teamwork makes the dream work.
ECF tips off tomorrow: Back in the ECF for the first time since 2014, the Pacers face the intimidating Boston Celtics in Beantown at 8 p.m. ET. The well-rested Cs have considerably more postseason experience than the Pacers after qualifying for six of the last eight ECF, but Indy boasts a fully healthy roster and played well against Boston in the regular season. It’s anyone’s ball game.