There’s a reason why Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been shutting down games for the Timberwolves this season.

Alexander-Walker hit a 3-pointer, got a steal to get another 3-pointer from Anthony Edwards at the other end, and had to stop the game on the next possession. Edwards eventually hit a floater with 25 seconds left to give the Timberwolves the lead in a 119-116 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Rudy Gobert hit a pair of free throws to score the final points and the Wolves defense stood firm at the other end.

The Wolves led by as many as 12 points at the start of the fourth quarter but fell behind by 10 points with 3 minutes, 36 seconds left after a series of mistakes. Shots weren’t falling, they couldn’t stop the Nuggets, and Rudy Gobert even received Flagrant 1 foul for elbowing Nikola Jokic on offense. It looked like they were going to let the game slip away.

But Alexander-Walker stepped up defensively when it mattered most and Edwards remained clutch.