Jaden McDaniels’ Backs Up All the Talk With ‘Inspirational’ Performance in Timberwolves‘ Win

Jaden McDaniels put the exclamation point on the Timberwolves’ Game 2 win. | Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images

The Timberwolves beat the Nuggets 113-96 in Game 3 on Thursday night to take a 2-1 series lead. Minnesota jumped out to a 25-11 lead after one quarter and held the No. 1 scoring offense in the NBA under 100 points for the first time since January 18, and just the third time all season.

One of the main reasons for that was Jaden McDaniels, who provided tough defense while also notching his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. McDaniels's performance was especially awesome considering what he said after Game 2 when he stated that the Wolves' game plan was to go after Denver's bad defenders. And then he proceeded to name four of the team's five starters and the Sixth Man of the Year.

It was the kind of thing that you have to back up with your play and McDaniels went out there and did it, most impressively hitting a three when the Nuggets cut it to 14 with five minutes remaining followed by a dunk on a flat-footed Nikola Jokić that sent his teammates and the crowd into a frenzy.

After the game McDaniels was told that one of his teammates said he played "ornery," which he found funny once the word was defined.

"It's funny like when they say stuff like that, they know my personality," said McDaniels. "They see me everyday. So, it's all cool with the jokes and really just trying to bring that edge to the game of where like just competing in a non like non-controllable, just always competing no matter if I score zero points, if I'm making shots or if we're losing, getting blown out or even it don't matter who's in. They put their their second group in and I was still picking up full court. So, it just don't really matter. Just continue to play how I play."

Coach Chris Finch also had high praise for McDaniels.

"It was spectacular to have that much energy," said Finch. "I thought his offense was, I mean, his activity offensively in the first quarter was outstanding. Just trying to go get tips, loose balls, offensive rebounds, 50/50 plays, broken plays, all that kind of stuff was really good. You know, defensively he was outstanding tonight. I thought he was inspirational, no doubt."

It really is inspiring to back up that kind of talk. And if the Timberwolves go on to win this series, they can point to McDaniels's confidence and play as one of the main catalysts after they dropped Game 1.

In Game 2 he had 14 points and three assists and then he had the 20 and 10 in Game 3. Of course, he wasn't the only one who played well. It was a total team effort for the Timberwolves as all five starters scored in double figures while the team's leading scorer was Ayo Dosunmu, who had 25 points and nine assists off the bench. Rudy Gobert had 12 rebounds and three blocks and made Jokić fight for everything.

Whoever wins this series is a legitimate contender. Right now McDaniels has the Timberwolves believing it is going to be them.

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