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For the first time since they were eliminated in the 2022 NBA Playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets face a deficit in a postseason series. In the […]
For the first time since they were eliminated in the 2022 NBA Playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets face a deficit in a postseason series. In the initial game of their Western Conference Semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the road team emerged victorious, and the Nuggets face an 0-1 series deficit.
The Nuggets didn’t trail in any of their four postseason series last year: a 2-2 tie in the Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns and a 1-1 tie in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat were the biggest moments of tension in Denver’s first-ever NBA championship run. But after failing to defend home court at Ball Arena, the Nuggets have to play from behind for the first time in over two years.
Horse-racing-minded Nikola Jokic must have had his team focused on the Kentucky Derby (which started at the same time as the game): because the Nuggets came out sluggish, falling behind 9-0 and then 16-4, allowing Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves to storm out to an early lead.
The Nuggets quickly recovered offensively, with Michael Porter Jr. and Jokic leading the charge, and Jokic finally earning some trips to the free throw line. By the end of the first quarter, Denver took a 25-23 lead on a 21-5 run to erase their slow start.
The second quarter featured tighter defense (and poorer shooting) from both teams, with the Nuggets winning the period 19-17 to grab a 44-40 lead at halftime of a low-scoring contest.
Even with Minnesota re-gaining the lead on a 33-27 third quarter run, Jokic and the Nuggets were within striking distance of the Timberwolves for what felt like the entire game.
Mike Conley put Minnesota up 80-77 with 8:49 to play on a three-pointer, but Jamal Murray answered right back with a step-back three-pointer that he was also fouled on: a four-point play to give Denver an 81-80 lead.
Edwards made back-to-back buckets for the Timberwolves to put Minnesota back on top, but the defensing champions wouldn’t fade away just yet. Former Kansas Jayhawk Christian Braun nailed a clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 84 points apiece with 6:24 left to play.
But then the Naz Reid takeover started.
Minnesota’s versatile sixth man banked in a 26-point three-pointer after Braun’s successful three. After a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed three-pointer, Reid grabbed an Edwards miss on the other end and slammed it in for a dunk. Jokic answered with a bucket for the Nuggets, but Reid got right back to work with an inside shot. Murray matched that basket, but then Reid nailed a three-pointer: a 10-4 run for Minnesota, with all 10 points coming from Reid.
This gave the Timberwolves a 94-88 lead with 4:20 to play, and while the Nuggets played the game out, getting a Jokic and-1 as well as pair of three-pointers from Jokic and Porter Jr. as some highlights, there just wasn’t enough time left in the game to close the gap on Minnesota.
The Timberwolves won 106-99 behind a huge 43-point performance from Anthony Edwards. Edwards shot 17-of-29 from the field, nailed three three-pointers, and converted on all six of his free throw attempts. Edwards was supplemented by 20 points from Karl Anthony-Towns and 16 points from Naz Reid, including those crucial 10 straight points to put the Timberwolves up late.
Minnesota overcame a scoreless night from starter Jaden McDaniels, with the forward going 0-for-7 from the field in 37 minutes.
For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic led the way with 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 11-of-25 from the field. Michael Porter Jr. continued his consistent offensive performance in the postseason, scoring 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting with four three-pointers.
Besides that, the Nuggets needed more help. Jamal Murray was held to 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made their shots, but ultimately, 22 misses by Jokic and Murray swallowed up a lot of the potential shot attempts.
As Denver looks to fine tune heading in to Game 2, they’ll want to turn the ball over less: while the Nuggets won the turnover battle 14-12, a few less turnovers could be the difference between a win or a loss. Denver was also outrebounded 42-34, with Minnesota securing seven offensive rebounds.
Above all, avoiding these slow starts will be crucial if the Nuggets intend to make a deep playoff run again this season. If you started keeping score when the Nuggets were down 16-4, they “won” the rest of the game by six points. If Denver can avoid early holes like that, losses will be fewer and farther in-between.
The Nuggets and Timberwolves will be back at Ball Arena on Monday night for Game 2, with Denver facing its biggest game of the season by far. An 0-2 series deficit heading to Minnesota could be a death sentence: a 1-1 series tie would be much more manageable.
And the biggest moments call for the best audience: Sak Sports Blog will be there in attendance. To continue following the Denver Nuggets pursuit of back-to-back NBA Championships, be sure to follow Sak Sports Blog on Twitter or on Facebook!
Special shoutout to a friend that reminded to write about the Nuggets even through the tough times, you know who you are.
Header Photo Credit: CARLOS GONZALEZ, STAR TRIBUNE
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