Pacers & Timberwolves Shatter NBA Records in Game 7 Closeouts to Eliminate Knicks & Nuggets
Two shocking Game 7s took center stage on Sunday in the NBA Playoffs where both road underdogs did the unthinkable. Tyrese Haliburton (26 pts) and the Pacers blitzed the Knicks (130-109) with the best team-shooting performance in NBA Playoff history (67.1%). A few hours later, the Timberwolves overcame a 20-point deficit to oust the Nuggets (98-90) with the biggest comeback in a Game 7 in NBA Playoff history. The stage is set for the Conference Finals after the Mavericks finished off the Thunder in Game 6 on Saturday night (117-116) with P.J. Washington’s game-winning free throws, and the Celtics are the only 1- or 2-seed remaining.
Pacers Shoot Playoff Record 67.1%
Gm 7: Pacers def. Knicks (130-109)
No one saw this coming. The Pacers won Game 6 on Friday night to force Game 7 Sunday at Madison Square Garden, but many expected the Knicks to flex like they did in previous swing games. Indiana came out firing at an insane clip. The Pacers shot 76.3% in the first half to mount a 20-point lead with the best-shooting half in NBA playoff history. They hit 22 of their first 27 shots. It couldn’t possibly be sustainable, could it? The Knicks made a push and cut the deficit as close as seven in the third quarter, but Indiana got hot again and pulled away. The Knicks also lost another player to injury when Jalen Brunson suffered a broken hand late in the game. Tyrese Haliburton (26 pts, six 3s) was the pace-setter, and the 6-seed Pacers are going back to the East Finals for the first time in a decade (2014). IND Wins Series (4-3)
T-Wolves Overcome 20-Point Deficit
Gm 7: T-Wolves def. Nuggets (98-90)
Don’t change that channel! The defending champion Nuggets were up by 20 in the third quarter (58-38) before Minnesota went on an out-of-their-mind 21-3 run to stun Denver. The fans in Ball Arena went from celebration to shock in about eight minutes. Anthony Edwards (16 pts) was held to just two points in the first half, but Ant-Man accounted for nine points during the comeback stretch. Minnesota pulled away to start the fourth, and Denver had a stretch of just 22 points over 25 minutes in the second half despite a combined 69 points from Nikola Jokic (34) and Jamal Murray (35). By the final horn, the 20-point rally was the largest Game 7 comeback in NBA Playoff history. The T-Wolves are going back to the West Finals for the first time in 20 years (2004). MIN Wins Series (4-3)
*No Games Tonight
The Conference Finals are set. The Celtics are the only 1- or 2-seed still alive. Underdogs and young stars — Haliburton, Edwards, and Doncic — will try to upstage Boston beginning on Tuesday, but the Celtics are heavy favorites from here on out.
Conference Finals Matchups
East: #1 Celtics vs. #6 Pacers (Tuesday)
West: #3 T-Wolves vs. #5 Mavericks (Wednesday)
Read More
ESPN: Scorching Hot Pacers Set Playoff Shooting Mark in Game 7 Rout at MSG
Sporting News: Timberwolves Stage Largest Comeback in Game 7 History to Upset Nuggets