The Timberwolves push past the Nuggets as a simple substitution becomes a dramatic turning point

The Timberwolves were lifeless and trailing the Nuggets in the fourth quarter when Nuggets guard Christian Braun dunked over and taunted Rudy Gobert. Gobert grabbed Braun and threw him aside, and the teams got in each other's faces as Gobert and Braun scored double technical points.

Amid the hustle and bustle, Wolves coach Chris Finch made a substitution – sending on Nickeil Alexander-Walker with 5 minutes and 14 seconds left in the game. The Wolves fell behind by 10 points, but then Alexander-Walker changed the mood in the arena and gave the Wolves a 119-116 victory over the Nuggets in the 21st meeting between the familiar opponents in the last three seasons.

“Nothing went right. He brought defense. He brought toughness with him. He plays hard every time he checks in the game,” said guard Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points. “…But he always does that, man. Come out, bring lots of energy. That's exactly what he does. He just happened to take shots, and big shots. We needed it. “

After the game, Edwards walked down the hallway with cameras shouting Alexander-Walker's name, with a few profanities between syllables, to let everyone know who he thought was the MVP of the night. Through the first five games of the season, Alexander-Walker has been one of the Wolves' most consistent players. Going into the season, it was unclear whether the addition of Donte DiVincenzo would reduce Alexander-Walker's minutes as a backup point guard. Instead, it has given Alexander-Walker the freedom to do what he does best – hit open balls, defend hard while also getting some time at point guard, just not as much as originally expected at the start of the season .

“Today was one of the first days in a long time where I didn’t have any nerves going into the game,” Alexander-Walker said. “I was a little worried about it because I don't want to just look so calm and indifferent. I can really feel the confidence in my work and the confidence I have and my faith in God. As for me, I had to stop worrying about the outcome.”

Alexander-Walker has been successful ever since he and coach Chris Finch talked about it in pre-season. It got to the point where Finch was setting up plays for Alexander-Walker in the fourth quarter. The two met in New Orleans when Alexander-Walker was drafted by the Pelicans and Finch was an assistant. Alexander-Walker's smile beamed when he was asked about it after the game.

“Me and Finchy have come a long way. I'll take whatever I can get. It was definitely a moment for me, you know? Like a passing of the torch or something,” he said. “Like we’ve moved on to another level of our relationship.”

Alexander-Walker had eight points and forced two turnovers to lead a 17-4 Wolves run that won the game. He hit two three-pointers and two free throws and had two steals against Nikola Jokic, who scored 26 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, putting Denver in position to win even after Jamal Murray left the game in concussion protocol.