Editor’s note: Mike Conley is one of the best sources of information in the NBA.
Entering his 17th NBA season, the 36-year-old Timberwolves point guard has seen it all, and has the knowledge and willingness to explain what’s taken place and what’s to come with the media and, thus, the fans. That breadth of insight and analysis extends from on-court Xs and Os to team dynamics and development.
Conley is just as good at explaining why two teammates came to blows in the middle of a timeout as he is on what the team needs to do to decode a switch-heavy defense.
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So who better to sit down with twice a month to tackle different topics ranging from the Timberwolves to the NBA at large to, well, Mike Conley, than Conley himself.
This is the 11th installment of Conley’s Corner.
Another shot at the shot
The end of Game 7 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in the bubble in 2020 was … chaotic. To say the least. Utah had the ball, trailing by two in the final 15 seconds, only to have star guard Donovan Mitchell turn the ball over. That sent Denver sprinting the other way.
The Nuggets could have held the ball and gotten fouled. But Jamal Murray instead passed to Torrey Craig, who had a layup — and missed. His shot at the rim inexplicably went off the iron. Rudy Gobert grabbed the rebound and found his first outlet, Mike Conley.
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Conley caught the ball and crossed halfcourt with 2 seconds to play. He took two dribbles, whizzing past Gary Harris and then, on the run, rose and fired over Murray with a half second on the clock. If it fell, the Jazz were onto the Western Conference semifinals, and Conley would be the owner of an all-time iconic NBA postseason moment.
It looked good. It was not. The shot rimmed out and fell harmlessly to the floor.
Final: Denver 80, Utah 78.
Season over.
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Conley still thinks about that shot. “All the time,” he said.
“Honestly, I didn’t leave my house for weeks after that. Just was hurting so bad,” he said. “Because it just felt good, it felt like it was the right moment, and it didn’t work out. I’ll be damned if I get another chance at it. I would love it.”
The stars are aligning.
Minnesota will meet the Nuggets in Denver in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday.
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Of course, it’s Denver.
“It’s PTSD, it’s all that,” Conley said. “You’ve got the memories of that. You want to make those memories different. You want to have another chance. If I could’ve told you what I felt back then, I’d ask for that moment again, like, ‘I just wish I could have that again.’ ”
He has it, because he has earned it.
Ask the Timberwolves what the difference was between Game 5, which Denver dominated, and Game 6 of this series, and their answer is simple.
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“We got Mike Conley back,” Edwards said. “That was it.”
Conley noted he “obviously” wanted to give it a go in Game 5, but he “just couldn’t move at all” because of a sore Achilles tendon.
“Couldn’t walk two days ago,” he said.
Which made Game 6 seem like a longshot. But the floor general only allowed positive thoughts to occupy his mind in the days between games.
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“I was just thinking, ‘Man, I can’t think about one negative thing.’ My leg hurts, everything hurts,” Conley noted. “But I’m thinking, ‘Man, I’m getting through this, my team is going to get through this. We’re going to figure it out.’ So, it’s a chance, and we’ll be ready.”
Indeed he was, and they were. Conley noted after a day of treatment Wednesday that he was able to get on his toes more. And, on Thursday morning, he could jump, and run a bit better.
“That’s all I needed was to have that confidence to be able to move like that (on the court),” he said.
Conley said it was a “no-brainer” that he’d try to give it a go on Thursday for an elimination game. The veteran has never won a championship, and he yearns for that opportunity. He knows if Minnesota can get through this series, the possibilities are endless. He’s going to do everything in his power to make those possibilities a reality.
It was the same decision he made in 2021, with Utah trailing the Clippers 3-2 in the Western Conference semis. Conley missed the first five games of that series with a hamstring injury but tried to gut it out for Game 6. He played poorly, going 1 for 8 from the field while committing six turnovers as the Jazz were eliminated.
That was a learning experience. Conley said he tried to make too many “quick movements” in that game three years ago. He attempted to prep his mind and body for adjustments he knew he’d have to make.
“Maybe that was a lesson learned for me on how to adjust my game for a game like this,” Conley said. “I tried to play at a different pace (Thursday). … I’m a quick guy, but not trying to burst here, burst there, but utilize the screens, be patient with the screens. Get to the spots on the floor where I could be effective and make plays. I think it helped set the stage.”
The guard finished with 13 points — keyed by three triples — five assists, four rebounds and a blocked shot. The performance sets the stage for Conley’s fifth career Game 7. He’s 0-4 in the prior four.
“I haven’t won one yet, so I’m hoping this is that, you know what I mean?” Conley said. “It’s time.”
He’d never completed a series sweep in his career prior to Minnesota bouncing Phoenix in four games in the first round. So, perhaps this is the year of first for the 36-year-old. Maybe Sunday is the day he achieves another first, exorcising a few demons in the process.
“Who knows, I might be put in that position again to make a shot that’s meaningful,” Conley said.
If he is, will he make it?
“Oh yeah,” Conley said. “I’ve been thinking about it.”
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