The Denver Nuggets took care of business Friday in its first highway sport of the playoffs.
Denver Nuggers has a commanding 3-0 lead and might advance to the convention semifinals by beating the host Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 on Sunday evening in Minneapolis.
“They handled their business like they’re supposed to,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone mentioned of his gamers, “like mature teams do.”
The Nuggets rolled to a 29-point win in Game 1 and had a snug nine-point margin in Game 2. They knew the Wolves can be fired up by their house crowd and play with a way of desperation in Game 3, and so they have been prepared for it.
“We didn’t want to give them life,” mentioned two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, who had a triple-double — 20 factors, 12 assists and 11 rebounds after Denver’s 120-111 win. “We wanted to be the aggressor. We wanted to punch them first.”
Denver withstood Minnesota’s emotional begin to forge a 28-all tie after one quarter. Then it made 12 of its first 16 photographs within the second quarter and led by as many as 13 factors earlier than settling for a 61-55 halftime lead.
The Nuggets by no means let the Wolves catch up within the second half. Denver shot 57 % from the ground and its bench outscored Minnesota’s bench 29-10, led by Bruce Brown’s 12.
“No disrespect to the T-wolves; this is about us,” Malone mentioned, “but we don’t want to go back to Denver. We know to close out a series a lot of times can be the hardest game.
“I’m hoping that we can find a way. Don’t have a mindset of, ‘Hey, we can just go back and close it in Denver.’ Our mindset should be to close it in Game 4.”
The Wolves acquired one other excellent efficiency from Anthony Edwards, who scored 36 factors and is averaging 31.7 within the sequence. Karl-Anthony Towns, who had simply 21 complete factors in Denver, broke out with 27 and Rudy Gobert had 18 factors and 10 rebounds.
“We couldn’t get enough stops in a row. And when we did … our decision-making on offense just kind of let us down,” coach Chris Finch mentioned.
Guard Mike Conley, who scored 12 factors, mentioned the loss was a sport the Wolves “would love to have back.”
If Minnesota goes to drive a Game 5, it should play its finest sport in a sequence through which it has outscored the Nuggets simply as soon as in 12 quarters.
The Wolves acquired inside 5 factors on three events through the remaining six minutes however couldn’t get any nearer.
“This game really hurt,” Towns mentioned. “Just got to execute at a higher level if we want to reach that level.”
The Wolves maybe can take some hope from the truth that they received twice at house in opposition to Denver through the common season — by 30 and 13 factors. But clearly this can be a a lot totally different scenario after the best way the primary three video games have gone.
“Obviously it’s back against the wall,” Conley mentioned. “All the way against the wall.”
