Nuggets on brink after Wolves win
- Ayo Dosunmu scored 43 points off the bench Saturday as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 112-96 in Game 4, taking a 3-1 first-round series lead over Denver. - Minnesota won despite leg injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, while Nikola Jokić finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists before a late ejection. - The Wolves have won three straight and can close the series Monday in Denver, after oddsmakers listed the Nuggets as slight Game 4 favorites. (cbssports.com)
Minnesota pushed Denver to the brink Saturday night, beating the Nuggets 112-96 in Game 4 for a 3-1 series lead. (espn.com) (nba.com) Ayo Dosunmu scored a career-high 43 points off the bench for the Timberwolves, shooting 13-for-17 from the field, 5-for-5 from 3-point range and 12-for-12 at the line. (espn.com) (nba.com) Minnesota did it while Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo dealt with leg injuries, with 38-year-old Mike Conley logging 20 minutes in relief. Naz Reid added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Julius Randle had 15 points and nine boards. (espn.com) Denver got 30 points from Jamal Murray and 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists from Nikola Jokić, but the Nuggets shot 6-for-27 from deep. Minnesota erased a seven-point Denver lead in the third quarter and opened the fourth with a 9-0 run. (espn.com) The series flipped fast. Denver won Game 1, Minnesota answered in Game 2, then took Game 3 on April 23 by 113-96 before repeating the same margin in Game 4. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) (nba.com) That leaves the third-seeded Nuggets one loss from elimination against the sixth-seeded Timberwolves, with Game 5 set for Monday, April 27, in Denver. Minnesota has won three straight and now controls the first-round matchup. (nba.com) (espn.com) The result also undercut pregame betting expectations. FanDuel had Denver as a 1.5-point favorite entering Game 4, even with Aaron Gordon listed as questionable because of a calf issue and Peyton Watson ruled out with a hamstring injury. (cbssports.com) The game ended with tempers spilling over. Jokić and Randle were both ejected with 2.1 seconds left after Jaden McDaniels scored a late layup and Jokić confronted him near the Minnesota bench. (espn.com) Now the series goes back to Denver with the Nuggets needing three straight wins to survive. Minnesota needs one more. (nba.com)
