Nuggets seek Game 4 bounce-back
- The Minnesota Timberwolves took a 2-1 first-round lead over Denver after a 113-96 Game 3 win on April 23, sending the Nuggets into Saturday night’s Game 4 at Target Center needing a response. - Ayo Dosunmu scored a playoff career-high 25 points in Game 3, while Denver played without Aaron Gordon because of a calf injury and got only 19.5 points per game from Nikola Jokić in the series. - Denver won the regular-season series 3-1 and entered the playoffs on a 12-game winning streak, but Minnesota can push the Nuggets to the brink with another home win. (nba.com)
Denver entered Game 4 on Saturday night trailing Minnesota 2-1 after the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets 113-96 in Game 3 on April 23. (nba.com) The series opened with Denver’s 116-105 home win on April 18, when Jamal Murray scored 30 points and Nikola Jokić posted a triple-double. Minnesota answered in Game 2 on April 20, and then grabbed control with the 17-point Game 3 win in Minneapolis. (espn.com) (nba.com) Game 3 turned on Minnesota’s depth and Denver’s missing frontcourt piece. Ayo Dosunmu scored a playoff career-high 25 points, and the Nuggets ruled Aaron Gordon out with a calf injury before tipoff. (nba.com) The NBA’s series page listed Jokić at 19.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game through the first three games. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota at 18.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game entering Game 4. (nba.com) This matchup looked different a week ago. Denver was the West’s No. 3 seed at 54-28, Minnesota was No. 6 at 49-33, and the Nuggets had won the regular-season series 3-1. (nba.com) Denver also brought a 12-game winning streak into the postseason, while Minnesota arrived after another 49-win season and back-to-back trips to the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025. (nba.com) Saturday’s Game 4 was scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC at Target Center. Game 5, if needed, was set for Monday, April 27, in Denver. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) For Denver, the assignment was simple by tipoff: even the series before it shifted back to Ball Arena, or let Minnesota take a 3-1 lead into Game 5. (nba.com)
