After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the Minnesota Timberwolves lost both games at home against the Denver Nuggets and the series is now tied 2-2. Denver made necessary adjustments to ultimately tie the series.
In the first two games, Minnesota looked so dominant that people were saying the series was over. When the best player in the world is on the other team, you cannot say the series is over until it’s over. Nikola Jokić has led the Nuggets back into this series, averaging 29.5 points per game over the last two games.
Maybe the long break Denver had helped them be ready for game 3 in Minnesota. They looked like the Denver Nuggets of last year, dominating on both ends of the court. Every time the Timberwolves looked like they were getting back into the game, Denver struck back every time.
Aaron Gordon and Justin Holiday were huge factors in game 4. Gordon had 27 points and shot 11/12 from the field. Holiday made three big three pointers, which helped shift the momentum. Minnesota can’t allow the Denver role players to have big games this series, it will hurt them in the long run.
For the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns had a bad game, shooting 5/18 from the field. Minnesota can’t afford for their second leading scorer to have a terrible game like that and expect to win. Even though it is impossible to stop Jokić, Rudy Gobert has to step up defensively. Anthony Edwards cannot be the only player showing up for them, they will not win the series this way.
It’s still a long series, but Denver has a lot of momentum going back home. The Timberwolves have to get things clicking again in order to take this series back. The Nuggets experience may be the ultimate factor here, remember, they are the reigning NBA champions for a reason.
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