Why Mike Conley Is Not Playing Tonight vs Nuggets? Bad News Hits Timberwolves Before Series Defining Game 5

With the Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets thrilling series tied at 2-2, Anthony Edwards and Co. are hoping to continue their road luck tonight as well. Unfortunately, it comes with a piece of bad news. The Wolves guard Mike Conley has been ruled out for Game 5. He was listed on the injury report with a right Achilles soreness. Although he was present for pregame warmups to see if he could somehow make it, he seemingly couldn’t get going.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweeted the latest injury update. “Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. (right Achilles soreness) is out tonight vs. Denver in Game 5, per sources.” He sustained the injury in the final moments of Game 4, landing awkwardly after an attempted three-pointer.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker will take over Conley’s duties for the night.

He’s been nothing short of remarkable since he arrived from Utah in 2023. With 17 seasons’ worth of NBA experience as well as 11 postseason runs, the 11th being this season, he was on the hunt for his first ring. Conley has remained consistent throughout his career.

In his second year with Minnesota, he finished the regular season with 11.4 points, 5.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds. He also shot a career-high 44.2% from downtown and 91.1% from the charity stripe! The 2021 All-Star has a proven track record of stepping up whenever his team needs him.

However, that wasn’t the only reason he was motivated to join the Wolves for longer.

“Headed in the right direction”: Mike Conley believes in the Timberwolves wholeheartedly

Holding the record of all-time leading scorer in his time with the Grizzlies, Conley decided to spend what may well be his last best years in an organization he believed to have Championship caliber for years to come. During the All-Star break, Mike and the Wolves had signed a 2-year $20.75 million contract extension.

As it was announced, many in NBA circles believed the 36-year-old point guard could have gotten much more in the open market. So when asked about what did Mike Conley see in Anthony Edwards and Co., he said, “This organization is headed in the right direction. It’s got good people leading the way, people with great intentions and are trying to build a team that can compete for years to come … Organizations like this you don’t want to pass up on,” he revealed in February.

Of course, it is also his priority to win a ring. Conley believes Coach Finch and his boys have everything to reach that goal. Nobody watching the streaking Ant-Man and the entire pack right behind him would argue otherwise.

Update: Minnesota missed out on taking the series lead by a substantial margin. They ended up losing the game 97-112. Neither star managed to have a breakthrough performance like Jokic’s 40-point haul. The defending Champions even restricted Ant-Man to 18 points.