The Minnesota Timberwolves rallied to overcome a 10-point deficit in the final four minutes of Friday’s game against the Denver Nuggets and won 119-116.

Guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored eight points, including a 25-foot jump shot early in the Minnesota drive, to pull within seven points of Denver.

His shot came two minutes after Denver’s Christian Braun took a poster with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, causing excitement on the court. Braun threw a dunk at Gobert with 5:14 to play and then landed under the net in Gobert’s face. Gobert put Braun in a headlock and then pushed him away, prompting officials and members of each team to intervene.

“He got involved with me.” – Rudy Gobert on the argument with Christian Braun 😅 pic.twitter.com/RoYUYrmoPl

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 2, 2024

Officials said Braun committed an unsportsmanlike act by taunting Gobert, who they said made unnecessary contact. Both players were assessed technical fouls.

Minnesota gained ground on Denver thanks to star guard Anthony Edwards’ 3-pointer and a driving jump shot and took the lead with 25 seconds left. Gobert solidified the Timberwolves’ lead with two free throws before Nuggets star center Nikola Jokić missed a three-point attempt to tie the game as the clock expired.

ANT TAKES MINNESOTA THE LEAD 🚨

HE HAS 29 PTS 🔥

DENVER BALL… 25.7 SECONDS LEFT ON ESPN! pic.twitter.com/JgMjmm6Yvy

– NBA (@NBA) November 2, 2024

On Friday, the Nuggets traveled to Target Center in Minneapolis for the first time since the Wolves overcame a 20-point deficit on the road in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals last season. With Friday’s win, the Timberwolves improved to 3-2 while the Nuggets fell to 2-3.

Edwards finished the game with 29 points, four assists and four rebounds, while Gobert had 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets’ power forward, led Denver with 31 points and 11 rebounds, and Jokić added 26 points.

Gobert comes out big

Gobert is always a target for mockery across the league, especially on social media. He was prepared to receive another dose of that as Braun rose up and squirted all over him. But Instead, he grabbed the ball and responded with some huge plays down the stretch, including forcing a miss from Braun at the rim and grabbing the rebound And hit two clutch-free throws with 10 seconds left.

“Rudy is one of the mentally strongest players I have ever coached,” said Wolves coach Chris Finch. “Mentally tough, physically tough.

“Mentally he is strong regardless of whether people in the media are coming at him, whether opposing teams are coming at him, whether opposing fans are coming at him. He takes it as a challenge. He meets the moment. His teammates love him for it. He doesn’t give in. He’s feisty and willing to put his body on the line for us.”—Jon Krawczynski, Timberwolves beat writer

No hard feelings

There were no disagreements between Braun and Gobert after the game. Both said the emotions of the moment were just that, emotions in a tense game. Gobert said he has always had respect for the way Braun competes.

“I have nothing against Braun,” Gobert said. “I actually think he’s a really good player. He’s a good boy. But it’s a big win for us and the way we overcame adversity as a group tonight is the type of win that I think makes me grow as a team.”

Braun said he wasn’t switching to Gobert for personal reasons, but was simply thrilled that he had such an incredible game against the four-time Defensive Player of the Year.

“The reason I’m so excited after this is because this is the best rim protection in the NBA,” Braun said. “That’s why it’s not often that you get the best rim protector in the NBA in the game.”— Krawczynski

An inspiring victory

This was an important win for the Timberwolves. They haven’t played a complete game in these first five games as they try to regain their footing after trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Their defense has taken a major hit, falling from 1st in the league last year to 13th before this game. And they had blown a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Had they not managed the comeback, it would have been a demoralizing defeat against a bitter rival.

Instead, this could be a galvanizing moment. Trailing by 10 with 3:36 to play, their defense stormed back, holding the Nuggets without a field goal and forcing three turnovers down the stretch.

“The best teams in this league aren’t always perfect, but they have no doubts,” Gobert said. “You never doubt. They know how to regroup. They know how to refocus and be who they are when it matters.” — Krawczynski

Required reading

(Photo: Matt Blewett / Imagn Images)