The Minnesota Timberwolves are hopeful to have their starting point guard back for Game 6 tonight against the Denver Nuggets (8:30 ET, ESPN).
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Mike Conley is expected to return to the lineup after missing Game 5 due to a sore right Achilles tendon.
Conley suffered the injury during the Timberwolves’ final offensive possession of Game 4, missing a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left in a 115-107 loss.
Conley is averaging 11.3 points and seven assists over 31.8 minutes in Minnesota’s playoff run this season.
In Game 5, the Nuggets focused on stopping Wolves star Anthony Edwards, limiting him to 18 points on 5-for-15 shooting with four turnovers.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker stepped into Conley’s starting spot in Game 5, finishing with 15 points (on 5-for-12 shooting), two rebounds, and five assists in 39 minutes. Monte Morris played 11 minutes off the bench as Alexander-Walker’s backup, contributing six points, two rebounds, and three assists.
With 40 points and 13 assists from the indefatigable Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets stymied the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5, taking a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series. Denver can eliminate Minnesota in Game 6 tonight.
“They’re playing better than us right now. They’re outplaying us. They’re playing harder than us. They’re getting all the loose balls. Everything is going their way,” Edwards said. “They’ve got the momentum, and we’ve got to figure out a way to shift it back our way.”
The Nuggets have not only unleashed the staggering impact of the three-time MVP Jokic, but have also exposed cracks in the NBA’s leading defense with sharp outside shooting by their secondary scorers. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the latest to go off, hitting four of his five 3-point attempts in Game 5.
“We’ve still got a chance. There’s no let-up. Everybody is still here. I think everybody is still engaged,” said Minnesota center Naz Reid, the Sixth Man of the Year award winner. “I think everybody wants to make that adjustment or that change to get back on top and be ourselves.”
