Timberwolves vs. Nuggets: Game 7 updates

The Timberwolves and Nuggets are playing Game 7, the deciding game of their NBA Western Conference semifinal series tonight in Denver. Staff writer Chris Hine provides live updates from Ball Arena:

Score updates and in-game boxscore: Tap here

8:05 p.m.: Jamal Murray has Nuggets in control at halftime

The Wolves offense — and Anthony Edwards — appeared lost for a good chunk of the first half, and they trail the Nuggets 53-38 at halftime.

It was the lowest-scoring first half of the season for the Wolves.

Edwards could not get going offensively for the Wolves and their scoring struggled as a result. He began the game 1-for-7 and had just four points at halftime. Denver sent double teams his way often to force the ball out of his hands, and the Wolves could not capitalize the way they did in Game 6.

Denver scored 16 unanswered points across the end of the first and opening minutes of their second quarters to take a 32-19 lead as Edward’s could not find room to operate.

Jamal Murray finished the half with 22 points for the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic already has 15 rebounds for Denver.

The Wolves took Edwards out of the game and had one of their best stretches of offense as he cooled off. Jaden McDaniels had five points in a 10-2 spurt that pulled the Wolves within 34-29. But the Nuggets punched right back with six quick points to extend the lead back to double digits.

The Wolves’ tendency to let the officiating get in their heads began to creep in during the quarter, as McDaniels picked up his third foul that put Denver into the bonus.

Denver’s defense swarmed the Wolves most of the half and forced the Wolves to shoot just 12-for-38 (32%).

Their best offensive player in the half was Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting. When Denver opened a 48-33 lead, Towns scored five straight points to force a Denver timeout with 2:13 to play.

The Wolves supporting cast outside of McDaniels (10 points) was having a rough night. Mike Conley was just 1-for-7, Nickeil Alexander-Walker was 0-for-5 and Rudy Gobert was 0-for-3.

7:29 p.m.: Both teams start cold, Nuggets finish hot

If there’s a barometer for how this series has gone so far, it has been the play of Denver guard Jamal Murray. When Murray plays well, the Nuggets win. When he doesn’t, the Wolves win.

And Murray came to play in the first quarter of Game 7 with 13 points as Denver leads 24-19 after one.

Whether through excitement, nerves, anxiety or all of the above, both teams couldn’t put the ball in the basket to open the night as they each opened 2-for-9.

The Wolves had some stellar defensive plays in the opening minutes as both Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels had big blocks at the rim; Gobert of Michael Porter Jr. after Porter had blocked him on the other end, and McDaniels of Aaron Gordon.

The Wolves held the Nuggets in just five points in the opening six minutes and had a 12-5 lead.

But Denver responded with the next seven points to tie the score. After a 1-for-4 start, Murray got rolling by hitting four of his next six shots two of his next three shots, including a pair of threes at the end of the quarter that gave Denver the lead.

Nikola Jokic had six points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Wolves spread their scoring around as Anthony Edwards, double-teamed, got off to a slow start shooting (1-for-5). Karl-Anthony Towns stayed out of foul trouble with just one and had six points.

5:47 p.m.: “We’re a great team. And we’re going against another great team.”

Game 7 is here and one team already advanced to the conference finals on the road with Indiana winning for the first time all series in Madison Square Garden in moving past the Knicks.

The Wolves know they can win in Ball Arena, having done it in two of the three games held in Denver before Sunday.

But Anthony Edwards said after Saturday’s practice those games don’t matter much.

“That’s behind us. That don’t give us any confidence,” Edwards said. “I think we’re confident just because we’re a great team. And we’re going against another great team and we feel like we’re the better team. That’s all the confidence that we need. The two previous games don’t mean anything.”

Coach Chris Finch’s pregame media availability tonight was short — there’s not much to ask headed into a Game 7 — but he was asked if the season would be a success should the Wolves lose Game 7.

“I would say it’s another step forward,” Finch said. “We’re trying to build something here. Better to evaluate those things when it’s all said and done, but we’ve had a great season. These guys have done a great job of coming together, leaning on an identity, playing for each other. But we don’t feel like our work is done, so we’re excited tonight to get a win.”

Point guard Mike Conley (right soleus strain) was listed as questionable, but he started.

And … Scott Foster heads officiating crew

Wolves center Rudy Gobert was fined once during the regular season, then earlier in this series, for rubbing his fingers together in a “money sign” after calls by referee Scott Foster.

Foster is the lead official tonight, with David Guthrie and Curtis Blair the other referees. The Wolves are 3-1 this postseason in games with that crew.

Gobert drew a $75,000 fine after Game 4′s loss in Denver after paying $100,000 during the season for a slightly more obvious gesture.

After the second fine, he said, “Individually, collectively, we got to, whatever happens, we got to focus on what we can control and definitely can control our emotions and control the way we react to adversity and react to anything that happens on the court.”