After taking down the Warriors in five games, the Timberwolves are awaiting the result of Game 7 between the Thunder and Nuggets to find out who they will play in the conference finals. So, who should Wolves fans be rooting for?
The Timberwolves beat Denver in the conference semifinals last season and they were a perfect 4-0 against them in this year's regular season. Every sign points towards the Nuggets being an easier matchup than the top-seeded, title favorite, Thunder, who Minnesota held a 2-2 record against in the regular season.
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Minnesota's two losses against Oklahoma City in the regular season came by seven and eight points, while their wins were by three and 15 points, respectively. Anthony Edwards played in all four games, averaging 22.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists on 36.4% shooting from the field and a 31.6% mark from beyond the arc.
Naz Reid was arguably the Wolves' most effective offensive player against the Thunder in the regular season, averaging 22.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the four matchups. Minnesota struggled against MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 35.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game on 51.1% shooting from the field and 55.6% shooting from three in the four matchups.
In Minnesota's four wins against Denver, they had 29 and 20-point blowout wins sandwiched between a three-point win and double overtime, one-point victory on April 1, where Nikola Jokic recorded a 60-point triple-double. The two-time MVP played in all four games, averaging 35.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists on 59.3% shooting from the field and 50% from three.
Edwards fared much better against the Nuggets than OKC, averaging 31.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game on 50.5/40.8/75.0 shooting splits. Julius Randle also played in all four regular season games, averaging 23.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists on 55.2% shooting.
Anyway you put it, it's hard to make an argument that Denver isn't the easier matchup for the Wolves. That's especially true when you factor in Denver playing back-to-back seven-game series and they're nowhere near as deep as the Thunder.
Either opponent will provide its challenges, but Minnesota would be favored to beat Denver, while they would likely play the role of the underdog against the Thunder.
We'll know who the Wolves are playing when the final buzzer sounds in Game 7 between the Thunder and Nuggets on Sunday. That game starts around 2:30 p.m. CT.