Timberwolves' huge comeback
- The Timberwolves erased a 19-point deficit to beat the Nuggets and even their first-round series 1-1. (sports.yahoo.com) - Minnesota trailed by 19 in Game 2 before rallying to force the series back to Minneapolis tied at one. (sports.yahoo.com) - That comeback is already being cited as a defining early playoff theme amid several volatile first-round matchups. (espn.com)
Minnesota erased a 19-point first-half deficit Monday night and beat Denver 119-114 in Game 2, sending the series to Minneapolis tied 1-1. (nba.com) The Nuggets led 44-25 early in the second quarter at Ball Arena after a 39-point first period, then watched Minnesota answer with a 39-point second quarter of its own. Anthony Edwards finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds, and Julius Randle added 24 points. (espn.com) Denver still had its stars on the stat sheet. Jamal Murray scored 30 points, Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, and Murray hit a 51-foot shot at the halftime buzzer to tie the game at 64. (cbssports.com) The swing came late. Christian Braun missed one of two free throws with 19 seconds left and Denver down 115-114, then Randle made two free throws and Donte DiVincenzo finished a breakaway dunk. (espn.com) Minnesota also changed the texture of the game after the opening quarter. The Timberwolves outscored Denver 20-3 in second-chance points, and Denver’s Murray-Jokic duo shot a combined 2-for-12 in the fourth quarter. (cbssports.com) That mattered because Game 2 had a familiar edge for both teams. Denver had won 13 straight games since March 18, and the Nuggets were 8-0 in franchise history when they took the first two games of a playoff series. (espn.com) It also kept this matchup from tilting hard toward the higher seed before the flight to Minnesota. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, and Game 4 for Saturday, April 25, with the best-of-seven series now reset after two games in Denver. (nba.com) Across the Western Conference bracket, ESPN’s first-round roundup pointed to volatile openings in multiple series, with contenders already trading momentum game to game. Minnesota’s rally fit that pattern: an early hole, a fast reversal, and no clear grip on the matchup after 96 minutes. (espn.com) For now, the series has moved from Denver with nothing settled. The Timberwolves took back home court in one night, and the Nuggets let a 19-point cushion disappear before Game 3. (nba.com)
