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Denver Nuggets even up NBA playoff series vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

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4 months ago

May 13, 2024

StackGiant

The Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic (15) goes to the basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns.

Alternatives missed, alternatives seized.

Recreation to sport, quarter to quarter, possession to possession, that’s the NBA playoffs.

In a seven-game collection that includes two championship contenders, the margin for error and a focus to element tackle better significance.

The Minnesota Timberwolves had the chance of all alternatives, up 2-0 in opposition to the Denver Nuggets after taking each video games in Denver to start out their Western Convention semifinals collection. All of the Timberwolves needed to do was win one sport at dwelling for a tough-to-overcome 3-1 lead.

Alternative wasted.

The Nuggets took the subsequent two video games in Minneapolis, tying the collection at 2-2.

Denver topped Minnesota, 115-107, in Recreation 4 on Sunday.

Alternative grasped.

Denver took management within the second quarter, constructed a 64-49 halftime lead and held off each Timberwolves run. Minnesota struggled to get inside 10 within the last quarter, and when it did, Denver responded.

The Timberwolves minimize Denver’s result in 111-104 with 1:41 remaining. A sliver of sunshine existed. And who extinguished the sunshine? MVP Nikola Jokic pushed the rating to 113-104 with a brief runner, and his layup with 25.8 seconds left made it 115-107. Jokic had 16 factors of his team-high 35 factors within the fourth quarter. Tack on seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block for the Serbian famous person.

It doesn’t matter what occurred within the first two video games of the collection, the Nuggets discovered a approach to flip the matchup right into a best-of-3 and regained home-court benefit. What number of extra playoff video games will the Nuggets lose at dwelling? Knocking out the champ — be it boxing, NFL, MLB, NHL, WNBA, choose your sport — isn’t for the weak.

Every week in the past, the Nuggets had been written off, a staff battered, crushed up and going through a staff designed to beat them. In the present day, it’s the Timberwolves who’re struggling for solutions in what has developed right into a tense collection.

Denver has discovered offense in opposition to Minnesota’s top-ranked protection. The Nuggets shot 57% from the sphere and 44.8% on 3-pointers. Murray, who’s hobbled by a strained left calf, is making photographs once more, scoring 19 factors and amassing eight assists, 5 rebounds and two steals, and with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Cities swarming the three-time MVP, Jokic nonetheless discovered a manner.

Aaron Gordon delivered the form of effort that makes him an unsung however ultra-important a part of Denver’s success: 27 factors, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal. Justin Vacation, Christian Braun and Reggie Jackson scored a mixed 27 factors off the bench on 6-for-9 3-point capturing.

The Nuggets don’t panic. That’s one hallmark of a championship staff.

A phrase about Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. He’s a star. Who cares in regards to the Michael Jordan comparisons. It’s fodder, enjoyable and no hurt, and it’ll matter perhaps – perhaps – an iota 1,000 years from now. Let’s benefit from the celestial phenomenon.

He had a playoff career-high 44 factors, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, two steals and one block in Recreation 4. Nevertheless it wasn’t a victory.

Alternatives nonetheless exist.

For each groups.

Of observe: The house staff has misplaced the primary two video games in a best-of-seven NBA collection 33 occasions, and 5 occasions the staff down 2-0 has come again to win the collection – Los Angeles Clippers over Dallas in 2021; Boston over Chicago in 2017; Dallas over Houston in 2005; Houston over Phoenix in 1994; and Los Angeles Lakers over San Francisco n 1969.