Mike Conley returns to the Timberwolves' lineup after missing Game 5 due to injury, and immediately re-balances the roles.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had their starting point guard back in the mix for Thursday’s Game 6 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
“He’s in,” Wolves coach Chris Finch told reporters about 90 minutes before tipoff when asked about Conley’s availability.
Conley finished with 13 points, four rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes during the 115-70 victory. With the margin settled, Conley sat the final 8:33 as the Wolves prepped for the trip back to Denver. The Wolves posted the largest winning margin in a postseason game since 2015, when Chicago beat Milwaukee by 54 points in a first-round series clincher, according to Sportradar.
Conley missed Game 5 with a sore right Achilles tendon and had been listed questionable all day. The Wolves further clarified the injury as a soleus strain. The soleus is the calf muscle that attaches to your heel bone as part of the Achilles tendon.
Conley suffered the injury in the Timberwolves’ final offensive possession of Game 4, when he missed a 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining of a 115-107 loss.
Conley is averaging 11.3 points and seven assists over 31.8 minutes in Minnesota’s playoff run this season.
In Game 5, the Nuggets keyed in on stopping Wolves star Anthony Edwards, limiting him to 18 points on a 5-for-15 shooting performance that included four turnovers.
With 40 points and 13 assists from the indefatigable Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets stymied the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series. Denver failed to eliminate Minnesota in Game 6.
After Game 6, Conley said he knew he had to get back in the mix.
The Wolves were frequently in disarray on offense during Game 5 in Denver while Conley sat out with right leg soreness, and the 17-year veteran point guard clearly helped keep the half-court sets crisp and organized in his return.
“It was a no-brainer. I was going to try to find a way,” Conley said. “We’re just better when we’re a complete team.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker stepped into Conley’s starting spot in Game 5, finishing with 15 points (on 5-for-12 shooting), two rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes. Monte Morris played 11 minutes off the bench as Alexander-Walker’s backup, finishing with six points, two rebounds and three assists.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
