Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Game6thread

[Q-is-here]

Abe's 100 seconds behind real-time which sucks during commercials DVR Review:

- You know how we've discussed the reduction in posts this year on this site? When your favorite team does well... we have less to talk about. We're left... well... speechless.

And that's my excuse for having so few things to write about the Wolves in this game.

- Marc Davis has been the lead official in two games this series.
The Wolves have won by an average of 35.5 points.
Jamal Murray is shooting 7 - 36 (19%) in those games.

- Towns is not the easiest guy to root for sometimes. But damn... give that man his flowers. He's become a defensive advantage on the court. He had the main assignment in Round 1 vs. one of the greatest scorers (wing) in NBA history. In Round 2, his main assignment is the three-time MVP who plays center. Like him or not... his willingness to play the part of a good teammate has been equally impressive and overlooked.

- Only 6 TOs.

- The extra pass. It's one of the most beautiful plays in basketball. And the Timberwolves were making that pass over and over again in this game. It just seems like winning basketball, right?

That being said, Edwards' postgame comments about shooting every time he touches it is either an eyebrow-raiser or a great complement to that style.

- Rudy Gobert had a solid, effective, invaluable game. Nobody will really care (outside of Wolves fans).

- The Denver Nuggets are much better at falling down when dribbling after receiving just the slightest bit of contact. Wolves might want to try that approach once. Or 17 times to catch up.

- Mike Conley looked spry (and determined to win) tonight.

- Is it a sign of the times that I think Game 7 hinges on the officials as much as the players? Hoping for a crew that lets them play. Towns staying out of foul trouble will determine the winner...

- This is such an odd, marvelous series. After 5 blowouts... why does Game 7 seem like it's going to be a tight slugfest?

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Good stuff Abe, love reading your recaps.

Game 7 should be a decisive Denver win if we follow the script to this series so far. I think we will need some sort of unexpected shooting variance in our favor or someone getting in major foul trouble (like Gordon or Jokic) in order for us to have a chance. Just trying to be realistic!

That being said, even if we lose the series, that Game 6 win last night was huge for this franchise. It shows that this group of players is about as close to being a contender as you can get without actually making the WCF or Finals.

[AbeVigodaLive]

One thing I forgot to mention...

This Timberwolves team is unique. We've discussed a few games this season where they battled unexpectedly hard against long odds.

Resiliency.

I think last night's game is the latest example of that. It also seems like the Minnesota team has solid chemistry. They might even like each other. It's like they realize they have something special and don't want it to end.

Hopefully it doesn't.

[Lipoli390]

The Wolves scored 115 points and won by 45; yet, KAT and Naz each scored only 10 points with KAT going 0-4 from behind the and Naz hitting only 4 of 12 FG attempts, including 0-4 from behind the arc. That’s telling and it bodes well for game 7. The Wolves blew out Denver last night because we out-rebounded them by 19 and had only 6 turnover compared to Denver’s 12. That’s a reflection of relative energy and intensity. If the Wolves bring that level of energy and intensity to game 7 for 48 minutes, they will beat Denver and advance to the Western Conference finals.

[Coolbreeze44]

It's been such a fun ride this year, I really don't want it to end. I'm going to be a nervous hombre on Sunday, hoping for 1 win that could mean an eventual world championship. If we lose, next year is going to have to bring some change. But I trust TC to improve our chances through shrewd dealings. My biggest fear is Lore & ARod following through on reducing the payroll. I suppose it has to be reduced sooner than later, but hopefully the new TV deal will give us a bit of a reset.

[Lipoli390]

It's been such a fun ride this year, I really don't want it to end. I'm going to be a nervous hombre on Sunday, hoping for 1 win that could mean an eventual world championship. If we lose, next year is going to have to bring some change. But I trust TC to improve our chances through shrewd dealings. My biggest fear is Lore & ARod following through on reducing the payroll. I suppose it has to be reduced sooner than later, but hopefully the new TV deal will give us a bit of a reset.

I’m trying to avoid getting too hyped for game 7 because I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment. Then I start thinking about the fat that, when the game tips off tomorrow, it will be 20 years to the day of the Wolves’s last and only trip to the Western Conference Finals. I love the aesthetics and competition of all sports, especially basketball, but there’s an element of magic for me and fans that make sports extra special. That magic is etched as special moments in our memories.

As Twins fans, we remember Kirby Puckett’s 1991 home run in the 9th inning of game 6 with Jack Buck’s famous call: “And we’ll see you tomorrow night!” There are countless MJ and Larry Bird moments with last second shots that shouldn’t have gone in or even happened but did. There’s game 7 of the 1970 NBA finals on May 8, 1970 when Willis Reed came out of the tunnel for pre-game shoot around after missing game 6 with a torn thigh muscle that was universally expected to keep him out of game 7. The crowd went crazy as he walked onto the court in his uniform. The entire Laker team stopped shooting on their end and watched Willis as he grabbed a ball and launched it from top of the key. Nothing but net as the ball dropped through the hoop and people who were there say that was the moment the Knicks won game 7. Another magical moment in New York sports lore was David Cone’s perfect game on Yogi Berra Day, July 18, 1999. Yogi caught Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956 and hadn’t been in Yankee stadium for nearly 20 years because of his disdain for Steinbrenner. But on this day, July 18, 1999, as Yogi returned to Yankee stadium for a day in his honor, another Yankee pitcher (David Cone) replicated that rare achievement in baseball by pitching a perfect game. That’s magic. I could go on and I’m sure you all have moments like these that go through your heads from time to time.

And because I believe in the magic of sports, I believe that tomorrow night the Wolves will win game 7 and return to the Western Conference Finals exactly 20 years following the one and only time they’ve done that before.