Stephen A. Smith Describes the Mindset Timberwolves Need to Beat the Nuggets in Game 7 in Denver

Minnesota Timberwolves saved their season in an emphatic fashion after their 115-70 beatdown against the Denver Nuggets at home. This win enabled them to tie the series at 3 apiece as the squad restricted the Nikola Jokic-led Denver side to just nine points in the fourth quarter. However, the Anthony Edwards-led Minnesota side will now have to beat the Nuggets in a Game 7 at Ball Arena to win the series. An impressed Stephen A. Smith urged Edwards and the Timberwolves to recreate their Game 6 glory by adopting a certain mindset against the defending Champions. 

On ESPN’s NBA Countdown, the 56-year-old analyst posited that the Wolves should make the Nuggets “earn everything”, as they did with persistent defensive pressure in Game 6. Since Game 7 will be away from home in Denver, the defending champs will be amped up to defend their season.

Thus, the ESPN analyst believes that if the Wolves keep the game close, their closer Anthony Edwards will seal the deal in crunch time. However, the T-Wolves will need to keep the shackles tight from the jump.

“Nothing will be given, everything will be earned. It’s Game 7.…You got to recognize that you are going up against the reigning defending Champions, led by a three-times MVP…what you want to do is fight and keep it close enough, so your superstar is somebody they gotta worry about as the moment wanes,” Stephen A. Smith told his NBA Countdown co-hosts.

The Timberwolves have indeed put a wrench in the Nuggets’ plans for their second straight title. Their energy in Game 6 was reminiscent of their domination during the first two games in the WCSF series.

However, they lost their next three games and showed the Nuggets that they can be vulnerable at times. In that wake, Anthony Edwards detailed how the team recovered after a three-game losing streak.

Anthony Edwards explained the simple reason behind Game 6 victory

During the Game 5 loss, the Wolves missed their two-way PG Mike Conley because of a soleus strain. The veteran PG made sure that he was available for Game 6 and dropped 13 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal. When asked about what changed for the Wolves in Game 6, Edwards replied, “We got Mike Conley back. That was it.”

Afterward, Edwards showed his humorous side when a reporter asked him about his interaction with a Nuggets staffer after the Game 5 loss. During the post-game interaction after the game, Ant-man hilariously told the staffer that the Timberwolves would return to the locker room for the series-decider.

At any rate, it will be a win-or-go-home scenario for both squads. While the series has been mostly a back-and-forth, we can finally see a thriller during the Game 7 tilt.