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Nuggets Fans Gag on Massive Game 7 Choke Job Versus Timberwolves

The game seven loss was historic in the worst way.
May 20, 2024
Image: Nikola Jokic attempts a shot against Naz Reid and Minnesota Timberwolves defender
The Nuggets built a twenty-point lead at Ball Arena in game seven only to slowly, agonizingly piss it away. C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images

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The script the Denver Nuggets followed en route to their 98-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in game seven of their NBA playoffs series on May 19 makes mega-bomb movie Madame Web seem like Oppenheimer by comparison.

Note that the Nugs, who appeared to have a damn good chance to repeat as champions, lost their first two games to the Wolves at home before taking the next three contests in heroic fashion. But they squandered the opportunity to vanquish Minnesota permanently in game six with one of the worst performances in postseason history, falling short by an astonishing 45 points. Then, during the decisive matchup, they built a twenty-point lead at Ball Arena only to slowly, agonizingly piss it away.

Afterward, pained Denver loyalists on social media searched for the right word to sum up what happened and overwhelmingly settled on "choke."

Hard to argue with their logic. The largest previous halftime deficit ever overcome in an NBA game seven was eleven points — and the Nuggets were ahead by fifteen, 53-38, at the break. Moreover, Denver scored the first five points of the third quarter to stretch the margin to twenty before collapsing like an aging Las Vegas casino sentenced to implosion.

How the hell did this happen? We'll count the ways, so you don't have to.

The Nuggets played game six with approximately zero urgency, knowing they had a chance for redemption back in Denver no matter how thoroughly they were humiliated. But rather than responding to their lack of fire with a blaze of energy from the opening tip, they started slowly — again — before something strange happened: Jamal Murray, whose aim had been a lie during most of the preceding games, suddenly started hitting shots. He notched 24 points by halftime, supplementing a solid turn by freshly minted MVP Nikola Jokić, who seemed relieved not to be carrying the load by himself. Just as important, the Nugs turned up their defensive intensity, especially against rising star Anthony Edwards, whose box score listed an anemic four points, three assists and not a single rebound by the second quarter's conclusion.

But the young, hungry Wolves didn't simply go away. After the Nuggets' opening flurry in the third frame, Minnesota clamped down defensively, clogging the lane against Jokić and daring his teammates to settle for long-distance heaves. Since this formula was the same one Minnesota had used during its biggest wins, Denver coach Michael Malone and his charges shouldn't have been surprised, but they tumbled into the trap once more, firing up errant threes like grade-schoolers imitating Steph Curry while the Wolves piled up points on the other end.

It didn't have to be that way. Murray's offensive production didn't entirely vanish (he finished with 35 points), and Jokić had success on several occasions when he went inside. But Nikola also launched a totally unacceptable ten rainbows from beyond the arc, sinking only two of them, and after the Wolves took a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter, the need for yet another comeback left him looking totally exhausted. The Nugs were briefly able to cut the gap to five, but these efforts proved way too little way too late.

Even before the final whistle, questions arose about where the Nuggets go from here. The flaw in their starting lineup seems to be Michael Porter Jr., who followed strong efforts against the Los Angeles Lakers with a de facto disappearing act versus the Wolves. But Murray's tendency to get hurt at the worst possible times (he's been struggling with a calf strain for weeks) is also troubling. And those fears about the Denver bench not being as strong as the one that helped the outfit seize the NBA crown turned out to be entirely accurate. The only non-starter who scored in game seven was Christian Braun, who registered five points.

There'll be plenty of time to debate issues that need addressing now that the Nuggets are done for the year — along with the Colorado Avalanche, whose own playoffs run ended two days earlier. Right now, fans' emotions remain raw, as seen in our picks for the twenty most memorable posts about the game on X. Be prepared: They may choke you up.

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Image: Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.
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