What was most shocking about Tuesday night — when Minnesota took a 2-0 series lead against the defending champions in the second round — wasn’t that Denver lost, it was that they lost their composure while doing this.
Friday night we saw the defending champion Nuggets that we expected in this series. Those with pride. Those seemingly unconcerned with the pressure. Defensively, Denver was locked in, on offense the ball was popping and moving, and Jamal Murray scored 24 points and showed no signs of the injury that slowed him down in the first two games of the series.
The result was a 117-90 win for Denver at Minnesota, which was never in doubt after midway through the second quarter, taking some of the shine off the Timberwolves’ “team of destiny” aura. Minnesota still leads the series 2-1 with Game 4 on Sunday at Minnesota.
“I liked the fact that they punched tonight, we didn’t punch back,” Anthony Edwards said in the Minnesota locker room. “That’s it, it’s fun, you love competing. It’s going to be a very competitive Sunday, we’ll be here for it.”
It wasn’t very competitive on Friday night.
Denver did a good job coming out with the necessary desperation in a game they need to win. Minnesota fans booed Jamal Murray every time he touched the ball, and he responded like a champion.
“Honestly, it makes you better because you have to respond,” Murray said, via the Associated Press. “It just makes you have to focus and be there for your teammates.”
It all starts for Denver with newly signed three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who had 24 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. Denver also got a big game from Michael Porter Jr., who scored 21 points.
But what mattered most was the ball and player movement that the Nuggets championship is known for. Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert returned from the birth of his son, but he wasn’t essentially a factor because of the way Denver moved the ball and kept him off balance.
Edwards finished with 19 points to lead the Wolves, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 14.
The Timberwolves have played like champions in their first six playoff games this season – but true champions know how to respond to adversity. Denver did it.
Can Minnesota respond on Sunday?
