Bad blood and a closeout game. The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves were waiting for the tension to crack. Nikola Jokic was once again in the spotlight. A few games ago, he was handed a fine after sparking a massive scuffle at the end of the game. It didn’t take as long this time. The Joker reached a point of frustration after just a little shove from the Timberwolves’ Jaylen Clark.

The incident took place in the fourth quarter. Clark fouled Jokic near halfcourt and gave him a little push. It didn’t look like Jokic took any exception. But once Clark tried to confront him, the three-time MVP sent Clark tumbling to the floor. Once again, the Timberwolves and Nuggets met in a moment of confrontation.

Timberwolves center Naz Reid was among the first on the scene. He wasn’t going to let Nikola Jokic get away with pushing his teammate to the ground. The fiery exchange lasted only a few seconds before both benches intervened. The officials had a long look at what transpired and decided to punish three players.

Nikola Jokic, Jaylen Clark, and Naz Reid were each given technical fouls.

Resentment has been brewing between these two teams ever since Jaden McDaniels’ wild callout after Game 2. They share a history, with this being their third meeting in the playoffs in the last four years. On Jokic’s end, emotions got the better of him. The Nuggets were down six while facing elimination against an extremely shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves.

But the Joker’s aggression didn’t translate over to his teammates as much as it lit a fire under the Timberwolves. They were facing dire circumstances heading into what would be their last home game of the first-round series. Chris Finch dealt with even more injuries. Yet, the Timberwolves somehow managed to burst their way through the former NBA champions.

Minnesota Timberwolves oust the Nuggets in a dramatic Game 6

Ayo Dosunmu, who scored 43 to rescue the Timberwolves in Game 4, was added to the injury list before tonight’s clash. The former Bulls guard missed out due to a lingering calf ailment that got worse with greater activity. Even Bones Hyland was listed as questionable before playing just 9 minutes in Game 6.

Essentially, Finch had seven players in total with the opportunity to close out the series at home. The risk of being unsuccessful was going back to Denver with a team shot down by injuries. It was a must-win game. And the Timberwolves played every second of Game 6 as if nothing else mattered.

Jaden McDaniels rose into a new stratosphere of stars in this league. He ended his stellar series with 32 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and a block to lead the Timberwolves to an improbable first-round series win. With depth tested, Terrence Shannon Jr. demanded more from himself. The young guard added 24 points, including a tough and-1 in the fourth to extend the Timberwolves’ lead to six.

Over on the Denver Nuggets’ side, Nikola Jokic posted 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists in his effort to force a Game 7. Cam Johnson provided lethal shooting output, with five triples in his 27-point night. However, the Timberwolves successfully managed to take Jamal Murray out of the game. Jaden McDaniels was swamped all over the Nuggets All-Star, holding him to 12 points in 40 minutes. It severely hampered Denver’s offense.

But the Timberwolves mainly won because they had the heart to come out on top. They came to fight, finishing the game with 17 more rebounds than the Denver Nuggets. That created 19 additional possessions, allowing Minnesota to survive despite making just seven three-pointers. It was simple. The Timberwolves had the resilience to battle their injury crisis. They didn’t lose courage or hope for a second, and ended up wanting this win much more than the Nuggets.