With two Game 7s to decide who would advance to the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals, we knew Sunday would be special. For Indiana Pacers fans, their 130-109 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden is a moment they’ll remember for years to come. But they’re not done in these NBA Playoffs.
It was a different story between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, whose rivalry continued with a thrilling victory by the road team at Ball Arena. In the biggest game of these four teams’ seasons yet, who were the biggest winners and losers?
Winner: Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton’s Pacers set a new NBA Playoffs record with 39 points in the first quarter, and they never looked back. The Pacers point guard has had his struggles, like when he scored six points while shooting 33% in Game 1. None of that mattered in Game 7, leading the Pacers with 26 points while sinking six 3-point shots. Haliburton looked like an All-NBA point guard, outdueling fringe MVP candidate Jalen Brunson.
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Loser: Jalen Brunson
Playing in the biggest game of his career thus far, Brunson couldn’t shine under the spotlight at Madison Square Garden. Before leaving the game with a fractured left hand, Brunson couldn’t buy a bucket, finishing with 17 points on 17 shots.
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Winner: Rick Carlisle
The Pacers may have had the best offense in the NBA this season, but they came into this matchup as the sixth seed. Then, the Knicks won the first two games, getting out to a tone-setting series lead. But Carlisle never let his team give in. By winning back-to-back potential elimination games, Carlisle is a big winner of the NBA Playoffs so far.
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Loser: OG Anunoby and Josh Hart
In Anunoby’s first appearance after missing four games in a row, the Knicks were hoping for a lift from their star two-way player. Yet, Anunoby’s hamstring was clearly still bothering him as he moved around the floor like a tortoise before leaving after scoring five points in five minutes. Hart played after suffering an abdominal injury, but he wasn’t the same either. He’d grab just eight rebounds (below his playoff average of 11.8), while shooting 33% from the floor. Rough day at the office.
Winner: Indiana Pacers fans
Even ESPN’s pre-game broadcast didn’t give the Pacers any attention, practically focusing entirely on the Knicks. The Pacers didn’t know that, but they played like they had a chip on their shoulders all day. While the Pacers didn’t get to eliminate the Knicks in front of the home Indiana crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, scoring a playoff-high 130 points still led to a fun day.
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Loser: Mike Malone
Before Game 7 tipped off, Mike Malone said, “Game 7s can be a little bit too big for some people.” Little did he know, those words would come back to haunt him, as the elimination event wasn’t too big for the small-market Timberwolves. Despite winning the championship a year ago, Game 7 was too big for Coach Malone’s Nuggets.
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Winner: Karl-Anthony Towns
Some call him one of the most overrated players in basketball, but Karl-Anthony Towns came up in the biggest moment of his career. Not only was he tasked with defending the 3x MVP in Nikola Jokic, holding him to a shot percentage of 46%, KAT also scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. The Wolves wouldn’t have won without Towns in this one.
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Winner: Jaden McDaniels
One of the best defenders in basketball showed off his versatile offensive skillset on Sunday, scoring 23 points on just 10 shots. McDaniels also came up with two steals and a block while playing lockdown defense on the Nugs. After the game, Edwards credited McDaniels with being the game MVP, he was that good.
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Winner: Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards couldn’t be found in the first half, as the Nuggets doubled him as soon as he touched the ball. But he morphed into a ferocious Wolf in the second half to spark Minnesota’s scoring attack. Ant finished with just 16 points on 24 shots, in what was clearly not his best night, but he maintained his composure and helped in other ways, such as grabbing eight rebounds, swiping two steals, and dishing seven assists.
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Loser: Nikola Jokic
The reigning MVP and leader of the 2023 NBA Champions did everything he could to try dragging the Nuggets across the finish line. Jokic scored 34 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and handed out seven assists while adding a blocked shot. But he needed 28 shots to score those 34 points on an inefficient night. Going 2-for-10 from 3-point range didn’t help either. If Jokic made even three of those perimeter shots, the Nuggets are headed to the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row.
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