Timberwolves overcome largest halftime deficit to beat Nuggets in Game 7 | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

[Music]

okay the sound

effects we get it guys see this oh oh a

two shot of the Wolves thank you as the

leader of the show I'm doing the show on

in protest because brew and Nick have

taken over and decided to bring

Taxidermy wolves which I don't even

think is appropriate to put on

television they're an endangered species

and a precious animal in our national

eco system it's the first things first

I'm actually flustered you and me both

Michael I never even been to Denver

wasn't gentlemanly of Michael Malone

cursing at work this is my bital this is

my bit cheers friend get out of here why

are you in a tuxed this is my bit well

once once the where breu is stupid

sandwich I know if it's Brew where is

Brew oh is not being a gentleman

today this is

not you at least picked it you picked it

correct wild I have real analysis I have

a full screen yes R you were correct

that if Denver had won you would have

been a gentleman true you would not have

pred you would not have gloated you

would not have rubbed it in my face

because you are a

gentleman but I must

say I'm

not I'm just an old school boy from the

Midwest so I must speak my truth okay

Wilds bruis te- wolves I know went into

Denver's house what did they do kicked

up their feet I know three times Brew

they did it yes did they have and they

said food

Nia get me a

sandwich

Jamal I want some chips okay and Michael

Malone Michael Porter Jr Aaron Gordon

whoever it is go fetch me a soda pop

that's what happened that's how it that

is that is what happened that is exactly

what happened and exactly what I say

would happen it's a guts to predict them

winning in seven you did in Denver's

house did call it perfectly not only

through did you call it but your

accurate bold prediction not just

picking Minnesota to win but picking the

exact series picking them to win a game

seven on the road in that unfair

altitude that they seem to have a little

issue with yeah uh what happened to the

I have the I don't know didn't Iver was

tired the

video of Kevin Wild's reaction to your

prediction in real time can we can we

show that video it was not very

gentlemanly of one Kevin Wilds can we

roll that please

Dusty Timberwolves in seven that's right

going to Denver winning game seven I

know

I'm look at that I was out of care now

not very gentleman that was of true but

I do think you even though you have your

feet on the table are quite the

gentleman and today is a gentlemanly day

if you want to let Kevin Wilds know you

know Wilds sometimes even though I may

not be a gentleman I like doing

gentlemanly things that's

right he's also got a right yeah that's

right a drink oh yes BR you guys do look

great I do have a drink

mic still on yeah your mic's still on I

figured you like the marel cherries I

know you like sweet things and nothing

is sweeter than this wild fantastic you

guys are really thank you and we will

get to Cheers my friend Che the actual

analysis in just a moment but first yeah

I'm ready for the analysis really yeah

well first we have to go through what

got us here which was guys I don't know

what our Banner budget's going to be for

football drop them all because it's all

just the

is every single time Kevin wild tweeted

one didn't even drop maybe it will at

some point those are all Wilds tweets

that no one is beating oh there it is

Denver all is original tweets there even

was a video that we couldn't put on

there so we we'll bring that out in

different form however we can what

discipline marketing I have though no

one's beating Denver in a seven game

series is what you said in fact you even

you know you you made it really your

slogan of the Year this was your the

video you made and so here's my question

Brew I said the chiefs were going to go

20 and0 and they lost their first game

of the year you famously had were a

Net's Clippers fan at one point in time

but none of us were as Pop committed as

this guy and none of those predictions

Wilds went down in the Flames of up 32

yeah wasn't great defending

champs get 50 pieced in a game six but

that I kind of threw away and then like

ah game six the biggest blowout the

biggest blown lead in game seven history

people are calling it a great comeback

well yeah I would call it a historic

coll a collap we've had our fun at your

expense you go right ahead what happened

here's a here's some real analysis if

you're looking to the clown for that uh

final 22 minutes last last night this

was a little bit rough Minnesota had 60

points Brew Denver had 32 26 rebounds to

12 was not good they shot over 50% hit

three threes Joker had 21 points and the

rest of the team had 11 and I know

Michael Malone is saying ah Joker and

Jamal Murray did all they

could I I don't know who what what size

a piece of the blame pie I want to give

to the bench because I don't think it's

the bench's job to win game sevens they

had five the bench had five points like

is it Aaron Gordon's job to win game

seven I don't think so I think it's the

coach's job I think it's the superstars

job to get those guys involved so I'm

not going to blame Michael Porter Jr for

missing threes after he was on fire

during the Lakers series so I'm I'm

putting the blame at the superstars feet

yogic had what 34 19 and

Jamal Murray had 35 if it was LE more

I'm also the mayair if it was LeBron we

would blame LeBron when it was Kevin

Durant we'd blame Kevin Durant if it was

Steph we some we would still it would be

if any of those guys were up 32 in a

series where they were the favorite and

up 20 and get annihilated in game six

and then have a 20o second half game

seven lead and and by the way I think

Joker was good in this game I don't

think he was fine I the yeah I right but

I think so I think two things happen

Brew one is I think there were signs

about the Nuggets I think that Spurs

loss that now all of a sudden folks

cared about but we talked around on the

show were signs I think the bench was a

weakness all year and I talked about it

I hate to say it classic classic to oh

thank you very much I appreciate that

Bruce Brown I'm like Bruce Brown's not

going to decide this ser and I was like

man what you saw I think and I know

we'll talk more about the Timberwolves

side in a minute but this Timberwolves

team was never scared and that they were

they their defense they felt was going

to keep them in the game and the nuggets

the moment it was close it felt to me

like the Nuggets lost their composure

and I and that the Timberwolves had full

control well that that late run after

the Nuggets were up 20 and then it was

like a 28-9

run by uh the

Timberwolves that had to rock Denver's

world like you could see after that

point and once Minnesota took the lead

early in the fourth quarter they never

trailed again it was tied like once or

twice but they never trailed again

mentally that had to completely destroy

Denver like we had these guys by 20 now

I will say this a 20-point lead in

today's NBA is not like it's about the

equivalent of a 10-point lead 20 years

ago it really is we see it happen all

the time Lakers were up 20 I know it was

the first half but nobody thought that

game was over Denver just walked them

down with the three-point shooting the

huge leads disappear now all the time

but I think Minnesota won for two I I

don't think it was just a collapse I

think it was a great comeback because I

think Minnesota's depth and their

defense is what got it done and their

defense locked up and that's why they

weren't scared Nick they play these guys

all the time same division last year

they felt like they could have played

with them had they been healthy with

Jaden McDaniels and Carl Anthony towns

they didn't have those guys for the

whole series and they lost so I think

their defense and then their depth they

had six guys score in D average double

figures in this series uh Denver only

had four so I think the depth came back

to support Minnesota and bite Denver and

listen I'm I'm not I don't want to

because you were saying we would blame

if it were any other Superstar they'd be

getting fled today I don't I think joic

played well yesterday I don't think he

was great I thought he played well I

thought Jamal Murray played awesome for

a quarter and a half yeah and was I not

good in the second half and not good at

the very start of the game like mid mid

first quarter to the end of the uh

second quarter he was excellent but here

is what I will say in regards to joic

because all of so much of my yic

frustration has been it seems like

everyone else wants to skip two steps

ahead when he had yet to go on a great

playoff run he was already a

back-to-back MVP when he had yet to be

be in the finals people were talking

about him being winning three straight

MVPs when he had won one title we were

talking Dynasty inevitability and about

this being the yic era they and this is

and fairness though you could say just

about all of that about Giannis too but

so that's so that's what I so that's the

exact point I wanted to make because

joic Giannis if we put him next to each

other it is a dead heat the playoff win

lost record I didn't realize was almost

identical the Conference Finals

appearances identical finals appearances

identical all of that I now yic has

three MVPs Giannis has two but he has

one defensive player of the year so

that's 33 and Giannis has more

outstanding Seasons now he's been in the

league a year longer and so the point

I'm making is I think that right we were

talking are the Nuggets going to be a

dynasty and I think a year from now we

might be discussing was is jic

definitively the best guy of his own era

because I don't know that that's true I

think Giannis is right there with him

historically and we'll see if Luca what

he does over these next couple next

month and if it becomes a three horse

race yeah I mean look and and let's see

what wiim Bama ends up doing I mean

they're all relatively young SGA is

there Anthony Edwards you know so I I

think we got a long way to go before we

start talking about whose era it is but

you didn't think people were saying this

was yist Era right now that that was

being discussed that they thought it

might be a dast what what we're in is a

an incredible era of parody now let's

see we this will be our sixth champion

in the past six years no champion in

these six years years has even gotten

past the second round after they won

their Championship so I I think we have

to see and let this thing play out

before we start you know really nailing

where they are historically all right

before we move on to the Wolves I just

want to show you one play this is down

five in the waning seconds of the game

this is cat's putb Brew or I'll ask you

Nick do you think if we look at the

other angle of this where cat just runs

in and dunks the ball as three guys

stand and look at it and then Nas Reed

had an earlier one where like Jamal I

don't know if it's Jamal Murray's job to

box out no the one was Joker missed the

box out you can show that too do you

think there is an element of Joker

fatigue or lack of want to I mean it's

game seven Joker never came out they

played a lot of minutes the whole year

obviously like a deep play they won the

championship last year all that so does

that show up in little moments or is it

just kind of a narrative so I think two

things one is I think Joker did look

gassed understandably playing you know g

games is playing heavy minutes the whole

all series Michael Malone made the the

Strategic choice of not giving him his

regular rest at the beginning of the

second quarter cuz I think he thought we

can really step on their throat which

they well well yeah I like I said I I'm

not killing him for it but it was

clearly a choice and there's a trade-off

for that because most guys can't go all

out effort on both ends for 48 minutes

that's why guys don't do it so I think

Joker was a little gassed I think the

other nuggets were Shook and I think

that and this is where you might

disagree I think they showed their coach

and their second best player both showed

front runner Tendencies and I think that

they last playoff run they were so good

they to their credit never faced real

adversity this year the first time they

faced it Jamal Murray is throwing stuff

at the refs and Michael Malone is

freaking out in game two on refs and

then when they lose a totally benol

legitimate question is asked to Michael

Malone and he dresses down the reporter

unnecessarily that to me is guys we talk

about composure and things like that I

mean they did win three in a row I I

understand that the yeah I thought they

show Heart in coming back and making

this a series see I thought they won

here's what I thought about those three

in a row game four it felt to me like

the or game three pardon me the

Timberwolves understandably kind of let

you know relaxed a bit and games four

and five were about Joker's individual

Brilliance taking over he was so

excellent in those games I thought

Michael Malone and Jamal Murray it

looked shaky you know what I mean as far

as how they handled real adversity in

this series I think that's a fair

critique brw no I look I I think and

we'll get to this in a moment the better

team won yeah and and I'm not just

saying that cuz I they and I'll I'll

give you know I know we talk about that

next but yeah I think they're just

better all right to the to the victors

Brew how about your wolves well look

obviously everybody's talking about

Michael Jordan and Anthony Edwards I

actually think he's more like d Wayne

Wade with a jump shot but there the

comparisons to Jordan to me one as he

said he plays both ends of the floor and

you saw it yesterday all right the

second thing I love about Anthony

Edwards he plays in the system like he

was 6 for 24 and when you watch them

throughout this series everybody else is

touching theall everybody else feels

free to shoot they their system is not

Anthony Edwards all right and I think

that makes it easier for your team to

conform around you and can make you a

better team now I just think like I said

Minnesota's better look they won three

of the four games in Denver okay they

won one of the games by 45 points all

right and then they come back on from a

20-point deficit in the second half in

Denver again all of those things speak

to them being the better team and and

then look at this uh graphic we have

right here they out did Denver in

everything this is the seven games more

points shot better from the floor made

more free throws more rebounds assists

steals blocks fewer turnovers and of

course within that is asto all right so

all of that I mean they dominated this

series as much as you could dominate a

seven game series sorry I'm doing the

math it's no it's but it's it's by a lot

it's 26 to 241 I think wow A plus 20 in

as Ser there it really is and the this

is where we were talking about the depth

their best player goes 6 for 24 yeah and

they still are able to win that's good

point so that speaks to their depth and

their defense all right so Anthony the 6

for 24 is of course a famous statline

because in one of the other biggest game

seven comebacks ever the Los Angeles

Lakers in the 2010 finals against the

Boston Celtics Kobe Bryant went six for

24 and found and found a way to impact

the game through rebounding and and this

is also why sports are kind of you know

funny funny is the wrong word but unique

in that if Kobe's teammates in that game

if if Ron ESS doesn't hit that shot if

if if Carl Anthony towns doesn't make

the plays he made in this game then we

look at the six for 24s by the Stars

differently because they won we can talk

about the good things they did but I

want to talk about two guys on the

timber worlds that I have criticized

heavily throughout their careers because

unlike maybe some members of the new

media that are very entrenched in Old

held grudges and will not move even if

the evidence suggests they should Rudy

gobear and Carl Anthony towns deserve

some respect for what they've done in

this series Rudy Rudy goar his the W his

onoff impact for the Wolves this

postseason is more dramatic literally

than any other player in the league yes

it is true he cannot guard Nika yic one

on one but that's also not really what

he's there for and no one can nobody in

the league currently can and people like

I the defensive player of the year when

D Kim B mut tumble won Defensive Player

of the Year Shaq put up 35 and 20 every

night in the finals when Draymond won

defensive player of the year he had his

teammate guard LeBron James in the

finals because he was best use elsewhere

Rudy was great and and Rudy even at

halime of this game folks on the

broadcast we talking about benching him

Rudy kept his composure and kept his

kept a steady handed impact and I have

been a significant Rudy Gober critic but

why play the games if guys can't change

you can't change your opinion of guys

based on how they play and Carl Anthony

towns I always thought good stats bad

team guy you know when he got hurt this

year I was like I don't even really know

how much it's going to hurt them he kept

them connected in the first half he hit

a three when they were down 15 at one

point point to cut it to 12 when it

looked like Denver was going to blow it

open every time joic did the thing Brew

always wants him to do which is the yeah

I'm not going to mimic it but car

Anthony towns is strong enough to at

least stop you know what I mean hold his

ground and he was excellent look I and

so I think those two guys just deserve

massive credit because I've criticized

them but they I mean this is the

crowning moment for so far of their

careers towns I look I think the issue

with Jimmy Butler when he clearly

thought towns was soft I think that hurt

his reputation remember we had to go

back and forth with mbid for a while

who's obviously a bit better than towns

I thought all of those things sullied

his reputation but this dude can play

now like I said I think he's got a

number one game he's 23 and 11 on four

almost 40% shooting from three for his

career but I think he is a number two

because of his demeanor maybe

personality whatever it is and now you

got Anthony Edwards there as the number

one but a guy who also loves him like

back Big Ups him always talking about

how good he is and gets him that

confidence it's a perfect tandem those

two can I give you one final thing

before we go yeah please the Wolves also

have a little bit

of Stick it to youis oh yeah that I

don't know if Denver had and this is the

play that I had Dusty pull Dusty the the

Jaden McDaniels trying to dunk at the

end of the game this was wild this is

just and Anthony ant Edwards was doing

stuff the whole game the whole series

it's just a little bit of chip on their

shoulder Grudge Edge and it's not

necessarily the heart of a champion that

we said Denver have this is like we're

coming for you and and and it's the game

is over I still want to let you know

there's and it's a little bit extra and

it's it's a little bit you take on it'll

go to you got to win when you do that

you got to keep

winning you take on the personality your

best player sometimes yeah and Anthony

Edwards is almost young enough to not

really care about all the unwritten

rules and he's got a lot of bleep you to

him and he's and to his credit one thing

I and I know we got to go he is not a

frontrunner he is talking when they're

losing he is confident and so I respect

it and I think we're going to get I mean

the the the trash talk in multiple

languages we're about to get in the

western Gman finals oh my goodness

gracious I do like us tickling the

ivories a little bit on the way out

you're feeling better you're not a

gentlem know feeling better I appreciate

being surrounded by fellow gentlemen Che

you guys weren't too bad on me well I

mean those was live

forever first things

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