Minnesota Timberwolves Defeat Denver Nuggets 106-80, Take 2-0 Lead in NBA Playoffs

Sport news
May 7, 2024
No Comments

The Timberwolves shut down the Nuggets 106-80 to take a 2-0 lead in the playoff series.

This was not a random occurrence for the Wolves team. They have been working towards a moment such as this one, when they surprised the basketball community with a defensive performance that could be used as a teaching model at all levels. The Wolves were relentless, suffocating, and physical, making the Nuggets struggle. The second quarter was particularly impressive, as they only allowed Denver to score 15 points and were leading 61-35 at halftime. The rest of the game felt like a formality. Similar to their previous series against Phoenix, the Wolves not only won the game, but also seemed to attack Denver’s core by limiting them to 35% shooting and causing 19 turnovers. They will now head back home to play Game 3 at Target Center on Friday night.

“You were completely immersed in it, and it was simply enjoyable.”

DENVER — A game like Monday’s 106-80 Timberwolves victory, when the Wolves beat the defending champion Nuggets to go up 2-0 in a playoff series without their best defensive player, was not an aberration for this team.

The Denver Nuggets’ defense has confused the normally calm team, with head coach Michael Malone even passionately confronting a referee. Despite some pockets of enthusiastic cheering from Minnesota Timberwolves fans, the game ended with relatively little noise for the Denver team, as their fans had already left.

This event has been in the works for over three years since coach Chris Finch was hired and worked towards establishing a culture of continuous competitiveness. It is also the result of two years of effort since acquiring Rudy Gobert, who was absent on Monday due to the birth of his child, but had previously emphasized the significance of defense, building positive habits, and maintaining consistent effort every game. The Wolves delivered an impressive defensive performance, making Gobert proud and marking one of the franchise’s finest defensive displays.

Reid faced one of his first challenges in the NBA when he had to defend Jokic during his rookie year while Towns was absent. At the time, Reid was unsure of how to effectively guard Jokic, which served as a defining moment of his introduction to the NBA.

The Wolves successfully made defense an enjoyable and thrilling aspect to observe. The journey to this point may not have always been enjoyable, but they have achieved it, despite any challenges to their defensive foundation.

It was an evening that had been a whole year in the making, when the Wolves’ season came to an end on the Ball Arena court almost a year ago. Last summer, they made a commitment to focus on defense as a priority. Back then, they were a young team that wasn’t prepared for the big moments. But now, their defense has caused guard Jamal Murray (who shot 3-for-18 and scored only eight points) to become so frustrated that he angrily threw a heat pad onto the court during the first half of the live action. Coach Finch commented that this behavior was “inexcusable” and “dangerous” and it is likely that the league office will take disciplinary action as a result.

Instead of Gobert, Kyle Anderson got the starting spot, but Reid ended up playing slightly more minutes. This was due to Reid’s strong defense against Jokic.

The boundary protection was flawless throughout the evening, with Jaden McDaniels sitting out most of the latter half due to fouls. However, both McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker aggressively defended Denver’s perimeter players, particularly Murray, like no one else could. McDaniels only scored five points, but he had a plus-23 rating for the night and set the tone for the team’s impressive defensive performance in the first half. Following the game, Edwards made a point to acknowledge McDaniels’ influence and unselfishness in continuing to defend even when not heavily involved in the offense.

During the second quarter with the Wolves leading 33-20, Alexander-Walker (14 points, three blocks) and McDaniels had Murray trapped near the middle of the court, showcasing the intimidating Wolves defense. Despite Murray’s attempts to break free or draw a foul, they were unwilling to let him escape. However, no action was taken to help Murray, resulting in a shot-clock violation, one of three forced by the Wolves that night.

Alexander-Walker described the feeling of getting lost in the game as being carried away by the flow and rhythm, while also enjoying guarding the other team. He compared it to an adrenaline rush.

BOXSCORE: Timberwolves 106, Denver 80

“When I first got here, [the culture] wasn’t the best, it wasn’t perfect,” center Naz Reid said. “But obviously we’re all humans, and over that time we gradually got better. We got more cultured. Time to where we kind of became a unit, a team where we trust each other. We’re selling out for each other.”

Both Towns and Edwards had a strong offensive performance during a crucial game for the Wolves, each scoring 27 points. Towns had a hot start, going 7-for-8 and helping the Wolves take a 28-20 lead after the first quarter. Edwards picked up his pace from there, ending the game with seven assists and Towns with 12 rebounds.

This was a long-awaited night, filled with significant moments leading up to it.

Edwards stated that he does not complain and remains dedicated to guarding. He also emphasized the importance of his full court defense, stating that the team would not be where they are today without him and his contributions. He then expressed gratitude for his role as the X-factor of the team and praised his overall contributions.

The Wolves were unable to secure a win if it weren’t for the contributions of their key defensive players, Reid and Towns. Despite not being recognized for their defensive abilities in the past, they both stepped up and successfully defended against Denver’s center Nikola Jokic. This was achieved without having the support of Gobert guarding the rim. They proved to be strong defenders in their own right.

“I recall stating last year that I would require one to two years, but I believe I have made significant improvements in my defensive skills, specifically guarding both guards and big players,” stated Reid.

“Special thanks to KAT and Naz for their solid performance in ensuring we didn’t have to double [Jokic] tonight,” stated guard Anthony Edwards. “They played fair and effective defense without committing fouls, and it made a huge impact on our team.”

Finch stated that the objective has always been to create a team that is supported by fans. This is only achievable by putting in effort and playing strong defense, as well as sharing the ball. At this moment, the team is successfully achieving all of these goals.

The uncertainty surrounding Jokic persisted throughout last season, as evidenced by Finch’s statement that Reid was hesitant to even make physical contact with Jokic. Despite this, Reid managed to end the night with four blocks and 18 points. Jokic, on the other hand, only scored 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting.

The post The Timberwolves shut down the Nuggets 106-80 to take a 2-0 lead in the playoff series. appeared first on Americano Sports.