Wolves take 2–1
- The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 113-96 on Thursday, April 23, at Target Center, taking a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round series behind a wire-to-wire defensive win. - Jaden McDaniels finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmu scored 25, and Minnesota held Denver to 34.1% shooting while Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined to shoot 12-for-43. - Denver now trails heading into Game 4 on Saturday, April 25, with Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson sidelined in Game 3 and the Nuggets held below 100 points for only the third time all season. (nba.com)
Minnesota took control of its first-round series Thursday night, beating Denver 113-96 in Game 3 to move ahead 2-1. (espn.com) (nba.com) The Timberwolves never trailed at Target Center and led by as many as 27 points. Denver scored only 11 points in the first quarter and finished at 34.1% from the field. (espn.com) (nba.com) Jaden McDaniels had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Ayo Dosunmu added 25 points in 32 minutes for Minnesota. Rudy Gobert anchored the defense as the Wolves won with balance instead of a 30-point scorer. (nba.com) (espn.com) Nikola Jokic still scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, but he shot 7-for-26. Jokic and Jamal Murray combined to go 12-for-43 and 2-for-15 from 3-point range. (espn.com) (nba.com) Denver played without Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson because of injuries, and the missing depth showed on both ends. The Nuggets failed to reach 100 points for only the third time all season. (nba.com) (denverpost.com) The result followed a tense swing in the series after Minnesota erased a 19-point deficit to win Game 2 in Denver, 119-114, and even the matchup at 1-1. Game 3 was different: Minnesota controlled it from the opening tip. (nba.com) (espn.com) The backdrop included comments from McDaniels after Game 2 criticizing Denver’s defense, which added edge to the series before the teams arrived in Minneapolis. Minnesota answered that talk with its own defensive clinic. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday night in Minneapolis, with Minnesota trying to push Denver to the brink and Denver trying to reset the series at 2-2. After Game 3, the pressure shifted squarely onto the Nuggets. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com)
