The nightmare continues in Colorado. After winning the Denver Nuggets away from home in Game 1 of the West semifinals, the The Minnesota Timberwolves repeated the script, overpowered their rivals 106-80 and increased their advantage in the playoffs NBA.
In another great night from the duo Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Minneapolis franchise defeats the current champions and takes a 2-0 lead in the series before returning to Minneapolis.
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Before even taking the court, the Timberwolves arrived for Game 2 with bad news. After leaving Denver for the birth of his son, Rudy Gobert was unable to return to the contest. Without its main defender, the team bet on Kyle Anderson, and the change had an effect.
If the absence of one of the league’s main defenders could affect the visitors, what was seen after the ball went up was the opposite. Encouraged, the Wolves ‘swallowed’ the current champions in the first stage.
With five blocks from Naz Reid, voted the best sixth man in the league, in the second quarter alone, the Minneapolis franchise went into the break with an incredible 61 to 35 on the scoreboard. On the other hand, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic did not exceed 10 points combined, the pair’s worst mark of the season.
Anthony Edwards surrounded by Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA West semifinals Getty Images
The return to the second half even excited the fans present at the Ball Arena, but the joy was short-lived. After showing a reaction, the home team ended up being neutralized again by Wolves, who only managed the game to secure the victory.
Since the 2020-2021 season, the Nuggets have not lost two consecutive playoff games at home. With the result, the Timberwolves take a 2-0 lead in the series and move closer to a rematch after being eliminated last season, when they fell to Denver in the first round of the playoffs.
Statistics:
Nikola Jokic: 16 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists;
Aaron Gordon: 20 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists;
Jamal Murray: 8 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists;
Justin Holiday: 13 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist;
Anthony Edwards: 25 points, 2 rebounds and 7 assists;
Karl-Anthony Towns: 27 points, 11 rebounds and 1 assist;
Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 14 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist;
Naz Reid: 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 blocks;
Series schedule:
Denver Nuggets (2nd) 99 x 106 Minnesota Timberwolves (3rd)
Denver Nuggets (2º) 80 x 106 Minnesota Timberwolves (3rd)
Minnesota Timberwolves (3rd) x Denver Nuggets (2nd) – Friday (10/05), 10:30 pm, broadcast live on ESPN on Star+
Minnesota Timberwolves (3º) x Denver Nuggets (2º) – Domingo (12/05), 21h
Denver Nuggets (2nd) x Minnesota Timberwolves (3rd) – 14/05, to be confirmed – if necessary
Minnesota Timberwolves (3rd) x Denver Nuggets (2nd) – 5/16, 9:30 p.m. – if necessary
Denver Nuggets (2nd) x Minnesota Timberwolves (3rd) – 19/05, to be confirmed – if necessary