Timberwolves take Game 2
- Minnesota grabbed a road win to even its first‑round series with Denver, outlasting the Nuggets in Game 2. (usatoday.com) - The road victory further pressured Denver after it had already dropped a home game earlier in the window. (usatoday.com) - The early road reversals are shifting expectations across multiple series, where favorites still held pregame edges. (nytimes.com)
Minnesota walked out of Denver with a 119-114 Game 2 win on Monday night, sending the first-round series back to Minneapolis tied 1-1. (nba.com, espn.com) The Timberwolves did it by erasing a 19-point deficit after Denver opened the second quarter ahead 44-25. Anthony Edwards finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds, and Julius Randle added 24 points after a quiet Game 1. (espn.com, nba.com) Denver looked in control early after a 39-25 first quarter, then watched Minnesota win the second by the same 39-25 margin. Jamal Murray’s 51-foot buzzer-beater tied the score at 64-64 at halftime, but Denver managed only 21 points in the fourth. (nba.com, espn.com) The result changed the shape of a series that had opened with Denver holding home court, the No. 3 seed, and a 13-game winning streak. Before Game 2, betting markets and playoff previews still had the Nuggets favored to advance despite Minnesota’s recent postseason success against them. (espn.com, nytimes.com, usatoday.com) That is part of a wider first-round pattern. The Athletic reported on April 21 that the higher seed was still favored in seven of eight series even after early home losses, a sign that one road win can move a series without fully flipping expectations. (nytimes.com) This matchup already came with recent history. These teams have met in the playoffs for the third time in four years, with Denver winning the 2023 series and Minnesota taking the 2024 rematch in six games. (sportsbettingdime.com, espn.com) Game 2 also turned on late possessions. After Edwards turned the ball over with 31 seconds left, Christian Braun split two free throws with Denver down one, then Randle hit two free throws and Donte DiVincenzo finished a breakaway dunk to seal it. (espn.com) Nikola Jokić posted 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, and Murray scored 30, but Minnesota’s defense closed harder in the final period than it did in Game 1. The series resumes Thursday, April 23, at Target Center in Minneapolis. (espn.com, nba.com, nba.com)
