Anthony Edwards-Nikola Jokic Game 7 NBA Face-Off Goes Viral…

On Sunday evening, the Minnesota Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards, advanced to the Western Conference finals after overcoming a 20-point deficit to defeat Nikola Jokic and the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their semifinals series.

The Nuggets had control for the first 2 1/2 quarters, but a strong third-quarter performance by the Timberwolves turned the game around. Despite Edwards’ poor shooting night at just 25 percent, his teammates stepped up, helping Minnesota reach their first NBA Final Four in 20 years.

A viral moment occurred near the end of the game when Edwards waved goodbye to Denver fans while dribbling out the shot clock before passing to Jaden McDaniels, who attempted an unexpected dunk despite the Nuggets seeming to accept defeat.

TNT cameras captured an animated and seemingly unfriendly conversation between Edwards and Jokic just before the game ended. Newly released audio reveals the exchange:

“Why, why?” asked Jokic, as reported by LegendZ on X (formerly Twitter).

“Why what?” responded Edwards.

“Why did you wave at the crowd?” Jokic queried.

Edwards simply pointed to the scoreboard, showing the Timberwolves’ imminent victory and advancement to the conference finals for the first time since Kevin Garnett did so 20 years ago.

A Surprising Run…

Despite being seen as a talented but disjointed team before the season, the Timberwolves have defied expectations in the playoffs. They first swept Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns and then ousted Jokic and the Nuggets in a dramatic series.

While Edwards is the team’s standout player, he benefits from a strong supporting cast. Jokic acknowledged this after Game 7, noting, “From the bench, they have a Sixth Man of the Year. … [They are] one team that they can do literally everything. They can be big, small,” according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

The Timberwolves will now face the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals, with the winner likely to face the Boston Celtics in the Finals unless a major upset occurs in the other bracket.

For this matchup, Edwards needs to be more efficient than he was in the Nuggets series, and his teammates must continue to capitalize on the open shots generated by the defensive focus on Edwards.

Game 1 is set for Wednesday evening.