Depleted by injuries to three starting guards, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 110-98 in Game 6 on Thursday, advancing to the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs behind 32 points and 10 rebounds from Jaden McDaniels.

With Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu all sidelined, Minnesota adopted a frontcourt-heavy lineup. Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid powered a dominant 64-40 edge in points in the paint and a 50-33 rebounding advantage over Denver.

Terrence Shannon Jr., inserted into the starting lineup, contributed 24 points. His speed off the dribble proved difficult for Denver to contain, and a three-point play with 1:43 remaining extended Minnesota's lead to six.

McDaniels delivered the decisive blow, burying a 19-foot midrange pull-up to push the margin to seven with 1:06 to play. He then intercepted a pressured pass from Nikola Jokic to effectively seal the outcome.

"I'm just happy it's over, happy we were able to come out on top," McDaniels said. "Stuff was said. I'm just happy we were all able to prove our point, get the win, and move on to the next round."

Jokic posted 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for Denver. However, Jamal Murray, closely guarded by McDaniels throughout, managed only 12 points on 4-for-17 shooting. Cameron Johnson led the Nuggets with 27 points, including 10-for-27 from three-point range as a team.

"This is what you don't really teach. This is about will. It's about heart, and that's how we were able to overcome this great challenge," said Gobert, who finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.

Minnesota, seeded sixth in the West, will face second-seeded San Antonio beginning Monday in the second round. The Spurs are 14.5 point favorites in Game 1.