Conley looks ahead to the Finals.
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 98-90 in Game 7 of the second round of the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs on Tuesday (Feb. 20) at the Pepsi Bowl Arena in Denver.
Minnesota knocked off the defending champions. After dropping three games in a row, the Timberwolves were on the brink of elimination, but they managed to salvage Games 6 and 7.
It’s the team’s best performance since the Kevin Garnett era. The current roster is strong. They have one of the best defenses in the league, and they have proven scorers in 스포츠토토존 Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.
And don’t forget the role of the silent veteran who anchors the team. That would be guard Mike Conley.
Until the middle of last season, Minnesota’s starting guard was D’Angelo Russell. However, Russell underperformed and didn’t get along with transfer and big-money starting center Rudy Gobert. Later, local reports surfaced of a conflict with Gobert.
With a point guard problem, Minnesota made a decision. It made a trade that sent Russell to the Lakers for the veteran Conley. The trade reunited Conley with his former teammate from Utah.
The impact of the trade was clear. The addition of a veteran guard who can steady the ship has helped the team improve. While their record is a far cry from his prime, losing Conley from the Minnesota lineup is a huge blow.
Conley’s influence in the locker room as well as on the court is significant. He won the Best Teammate award for the second time in his career this year after winning it in 2019. That’s a lot of leadership and affinity for his teammates. He”s a veteran who has a positive impact on the team.
Conley also played well in the series against Denver. After missing Game 5 with an injury, he returned in Game 6 to lead the team to back-to-back wins. He averaged 44.8% shooting from three-point range in the series, providing valuable points at key moments. In Game 7, he finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, including three 3-pointers.
Opponents have recognized Conley’s presence, too. Nikola Jokic, considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, praised Conley.
After Game 7, Jokic said, “Minnesota is like a team built to beat us. They basically have two All-Stars, two first-team defensive players. And they have the most underrated player in the NBA, Mike Conley. He’s a really good player,” he raved.
Conley never made it to the conference finals as a No. 1 seed at Utah, where he played with Kobe, but he accomplished that feat in Minnesota. Kobe even showed his affection for Conley by telling him, “Don’t ever leave my side again” when he returned from injury in Game 6.
Conley is in the Conference Finals for the first time since his Memphis days. With no Finals experience in his long career, can he make it to the highest battleground of the playoffs?
