MINNEAPOLIS (Associated Press) — After losing the first two games of the Western Conference playoffs at home in a manner that was both humiliating and embarrassing, the Denver Nuggets were not even close to being finished.
Game 4 of the series was played on Sunday night, and the Nuggets defeated the Timberwolves by a score of 115-107. Nikola Jokic scored 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, while Aaron Gordon scored 27 points on 11-of-12 shooting to lead the Nuggets to a victory that tied the series.
The way Gordon described it, “It’s just like a laser-sharp focus and a surgical execution.”
A momentum carryover from Jamal Murray’s buzzer-beating swish from behind half court allowed the Nuggets to score 12 of their 19 points in the third quarter. The Wolves only had the deficit below double digits in the second half, for a total of 3:19. The Nuggets are the defending champions of the NBA.
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards had again another outstanding performance, scoring 44 points and setting a new record for the team in the postseason by shooting 16 for 25. Nevertheless, the Wolves were defeated at their own game for the second consecutive time at home, despite having a 42-31 advantage in rebounding in their favor.
“Game 2 unquestionably roused us from our funk,” Murray said. It dawned on us that we are unable to resist our own progress.
The fifth and final game of the series will be played in Denver on Tuesday evening.
The following is a series. According to Edwards, “We were able to win two games, but we did not believe that it would be an easy task.”
Rudy Gobert came alive late in the game to score 11 points and grab 14 rebounds, Mike Conley had 15 points, Karl-Anthony Towns finished just 5 for 18 from the floor for 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 12 rebounds. In spite of this, the Wolves were at a disadvantage at home for the second game in a row to begin with.
In the final twenty seconds of the first half, the Nuggets scored eight consecutive points, with Murray’s remarkable heave serving as the highlight of the performance.
It wasn’t until there was 3 minutes and 39 seconds left when Gordon failed to make a shot. Moreover, he took the initiative to pursue Towns and even did some turns attempting to slow down Edwards. This is the most crucial thing.
“So much is being asked of him right now,” said coach Mike Malone. “The shot-making, the play-making, the physicality, and the defense on two All-Stars are all things that are being asked of him.” “What you appreciate about Aaron Gordon is that ever since the first day he put on that Nuggets uniform, it has always been about the Nuggets first. It is true that he is unselfish.
The three days break that the Wolves had between Games 2 and 3 did not help them in any way, as they ended up losing by 27 points. After the game, their coach Chris Finch referred to them as “fat and lazy” because of all the praise they received from people all around the world for their performance in Denver. In order to maintain a consistent level of roaring from the audience, they needed to immediately reintroduce their edge, and Edwards was the one who diligently led that response.
The top overall pick in the 2020 draft scored nine points in the first four minutes and more before Murray ever touched the ball. Gordon and Jokic shared the point guard duties in order to decrease the amount of pressure that Murray and his strained left calf muscle were under.
The Nuggets were fully anticipating that Edwards would be on a mission to will the Wolves to win after Game 3, which was a very quiet game. Even though they loaded up on him in the lane, it was not enough since he hit from everywhere on the court. However, the rest of the Wolves were not successful in making the Nuggets pay for leaving them open.
More than just corner threes, they failed to make tip-ins at the rim. Despite the fact that Towns’ effort and defense were never compromised, he was a complete mess when it came to getting the ball to the basket, and he rarely drew the fouls that he argued for. Towns started the game by missing his first seven shots.
“It’s unfortunate that I have a shooting performance like that on Mother’s Day,” Towns stated while expressing his disappointment. “However, this is the way the game is played. “There are times when it’s not a fun game.”
In the first two games of the season, the Wolves had the greatest defense in the league and the most enviable depth in their roster, but the Nuggets were able to replicate that recipe while playing away from home. In situations where their supplementary scorers and bench players are successful in making their jump shots, they are extremely difficult to defeat.
A total of eight of eleven shots from outside the arc were made by Gordon, Justin Holiday (ten points), Christian Braun (eleven points), and Reggie Jackson (six points). They sparked a 26-4 run that bridged the first and second quarters, and all but five of the points on that surge came while Gobert, who has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times, was sitting on the bench.
During the conversation, Jokic stated, “They are doing all of the dirty, small things that nobody notices.”