Timberwolves even series
- Minnesota rallied past the Denver Nuggets to even their first-round series with a Game 2 win. - The Timberwolves’ comeback made the series 1-1 after Tuesday’s matchup. - The win is an early swing that changes series tone, even though Denver remains favored in markets ( ).
Minnesota erased a 19-point deficit in Denver on Monday night, beating the Nuggets 119-114 and sending the first-round series back to Minneapolis tied 1-1. (nba.com) Anthony Edwards scored 30 points and Julius Randle added 24 for Minnesota in Game 2 at Ball Arena on April 20. Denver led 44-25 early in the second quarter before the Timberwolves flipped the game with a 39-point second period. (nba.com) Jamal Murray scored 30 for Denver, and Nikola Jokic finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. Christian Braun missed one of two free throws with 19 seconds left and Denver trailing 115-114, then Randle hit two free throws and Donte DiVincenzo finished a breakaway dunk. (espn.com) The split changed the shape of the matchup before the series moved to Target Center for Game 3 on Thursday, April 23, at 9:30 p.m. Eastern. Denver won Game 1, 116-105, on Saturday, April 18, so Minnesota left Colorado with home court back in play. (nba.com) (cbssports.com) Denver had a chance to put Minnesota in a 2-0 hole that the Timberwolves have never escaped in franchise playoff history. The Nuggets also entered Game 2 with an 8-0 record in playoff series after winning the first two games. (espn.com) (nba.com) The comeback also sharpened the contrast between the teams’ paths into the series. Denver finished the regular season 54-28 and had won 13 straight games since March 18, while Minnesota finished 49-33 and was still leaning on Edwards as he worked back from a knee issue that limited him late in the season. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) Betting markets had treated Denver as the stronger side entering Game 2, with the Nuggets listed around a 7.5-point home favorite and roughly -298 on the moneyline at Action Network. That made Minnesota’s road win a reset, not a reversal, in a series that still opened with Denver carrying the market edge. (actionnetwork.com) Now the series shifts to Minneapolis with two games scheduled in three nights, on Thursday and Saturday. After one Denver win and one Minnesota rally, the opener’s early control is gone and the matchup is down to a best-of-five. (nba.com) (cbssports.com)
