One Subtle Change Unlocked Jaden McDaniels In Game 6

Anthony Edwards praised Jaden McDaniels after the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 115-70 in Game 6.

“I feel like when Jaden plays well, can’t nobody beat us," he said. "Him playing like that tonight was crazy.”

Edwards's love for McDaniels is no secret. After the Phoenix Suns acquired Kevin Durant, Edwards famously responded by saying, "We have Jaden McDaniels."

Midway through the third quarter, love was on full display as McDaniels took a swing pass in the corner and daggered a game-sealing three. As McDaniels walked toward center court after the Nuggets called timeout, Edwards embraced McDaniels, pulling him in for a hug and celebrating the success of his fellow 2020 draft pick. The Wolves defeated Denver in Game 6 by 45 points largely because of McDaniels' defensive and offensive efforts.

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The third quarter three may have effectively ended the game, but McDaniels' performance from the first possession laid the foundation for the blowout. The Wolves came into the game with only a slight change in their defensive game plan, allowing Edwards to be Murray's primary defender for almost every possession of the game. That allowed McDaniels to guard the secondary wing scorer, whether it was Michael Porter Jr. or Christian Braun, while maintaining the rest of the matchups. While subtle, the change allowed McDaniels to wreck Denver's offense in the first quarter effectively.

The Nuggets jumped out to a 9-2 primarily by running in transition off of Minnesota's misses. When the game slowed down, though, McDaniels used his length to full effect. The change to being an off-ball defender allowed him to roam and help off of screens. It let McDaniels know where to recover because Porter Jr. was less of a ball-handling threat and did not move or cut as much as Murray or Aaron Gordon. For example, if Murray lost Edwards around a screen, McDaniels would recognize it and slide in front to allow Edwards to recover before sprinting back to find Porter. The same strategy also worked with Nikola Jokic as McDaniels came to Karl-Anthony Towns' aid and forced the double.

McDaniels' added length and roaming stymied the Nuggets, and their 9-2 advantage disappeared when the Wolves went on a 20-0 run. The run started with a McDaniels three-point make, followed by a steal off of Murray, leading to an Edwards dunk. Four and a half minutes of game time later, the Timberwolves went up 22-9 with 3:34 to go in the first quarter.

A minute later, McDaniels made a transition dunk off of a Naz Reid steal that forced a Nuggets timeout. Coming out of the timeout, McDaniels picked up Murray and blocked his faraway jump shot attempt. It landed in Edwards' hands, and he nailed a transition three to make the score 29-11.

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McDaniels would end the first quarter with seven points on 3 of 4 shooting with one rebound, one steal, and two blocks. McDaniels played all 12 minutes, had a +17 net rating, and the Wolves led 31-14.

The second quarter started with McDaniels getting a much-needed breather. After six minutes of rest, McDaniels checked back into the game and continued to wreak havoc on the Nuggets. He flew between assignments on defense and moved the ball on offense. Denver started to make a run toward the end of the second quarter. The Nuggets scored seven straight to cut Minnesota's lead to 17 before Edwards intercepted a questionable Gordon pass. McDaniels corralled a missed Reid three to score at the buzzer and put the Wolves up 59-40.

McDaniels started the second half where he left off, receiving a pass from Mike Conley to set the tone for a dunk 1:15 into the quarter. On the next possession, McDaniels again received a pass from Conley and drained a three for the Wolves. Edwards stole the ball and dunked it in transition to force the Nuggets to call a timeout with the Wolves leading 66-42.

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The Wolves and Nuggets traded baskets until the 6:40 mark when Towns swung a pass to McDaniels in the corner and hit the game-sealing three. The shot put Minnesota up 74-48, and Edwards embraced McDaniels. The end of the third quarter became a formality. Unfortunately, Edwards landed hard on his lower back and needed assistance to get to his feet. Although he remained in the game, Edwards was noticeably in pain throughout it.

With the game out of reach, the Nuggets subbed in their bench with 9:52 remaining. The Wolves took this opportunity to sub in their bench one at a time throughout the remainder of the game, allowing the crowd to cheer for each bench player.

Ultimately, McDaniels finished with 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting, with his only two misses coming from three (3 of 5). McDaniels also had four rebounds, including two offensive and an assist, two blocks, and a steal. His +23 net rating would be his best since Game 2 of the Denver series and the third-highest of his career. His defensive switching and ability to play off-ball allowed the Wolves to return to their defensive identity. Denver only scored 70 points in the game.

“It was his three that kinda sparked us out of that timeout, Finch told reporters, referring to McDaniels first make of the game when the score was 9-2. "We really needed to see that thing go down.”

Looking back, that three may have been the turning point in the game, and his three in the third quarter may have sealed it. The Wolves will head to Denver for the deciding Game 7. Minnesota will expect McDaniels to play well because, as Ant said, nobody can beat the Timberwolves when that happens.