Denver Nuggets showed the type of regimented performance which is the prerequisite for any NBA playoffs and set an example for other teams.
The top-seeded Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-111 on their road to a thrashing 3-0 win over Minnesota, to move within the range of the Western Conference semifinals. The Wolves came out with all guns blazing as they entered the game, but the Nuggets held them off, grabbing the lead in the second quarter and holding it for the rest of the game. The game was a tightly fought battle between both teams.
Denver Nuggets showed the type of regimented performance which is the prerequisite for any NBA playoffs and set an example for other teams. Their powerful centre Nikola Jokic recorded his seventh triple-double in the playoffs with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists on Friday night. According to Jokic in an interview with ESPN, the Serbian said “We didn’t want to give them life.” The 28-year-old Serbian is the two-time reigning NBA MVP who led the league with 29 triple-doubles this season.
The other players who chipped in for the Nuggets were Michael Porter JR. and Jamal Murray scoring 25 and 18 points respectively. Their dominating game crushed the zeal of the Timberwolves. Nuggets Coach was ever confident about his team as he gave his interview to ESPN, “No disrespect to the T-wolves, this is about us, but we don’t want to go back to Denver”.
For the home side, there were handy contributions from Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns who had 18 points and 27 points. Towns in particular had a good game in comparison to his previous two games where he managed to score just 21 points in 2 games. However, a defensive blunder and a hurried 3-pointer were enough to doom the Wolves against a Nuggets team that was finally healthy enough for another run at the NBA Finals. Denver Nuggets had a 29-10 advantage in bench points, led by Bruce Brown’s 12 points, and the Nuggets shot a formidable 57% from the field. The Nuggets’ message from the coach was to keep the gas pedal firmly pressed and not give the underdog Wolves any chance to come back.
The top team in the Western Conference shot like its playoff seeding was on the line and outfoxed the Wolves for nearly every rebound. The Nuggets went on two 9-0 runs in the first half itself. They made 12 of their first 16 shots in the second quarter to open up a 13-point lead. Anthony Edwards, the shooting guard of the Timberwolves who set a franchise playoff record with 41 points in Game 2, tried to single-handedly save the Wolves from scattering away. But, Jokic and Porter were just too hot to handle in the night.
With 5:51 remaining in the third quarter, Towns drew Jokic’s fourth foul, and the Wolves improved their attack on the basket compared to their performance in the first two games. However, the Nuggets due to their disciplined gameplay and excellent performance managed to edge out the Timberwolves.
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