The top-seeded Denver Nuggets are one win away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals after a workmanlike 120-111 Game 3 highway win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday evening. The Nuggets resisted an early barrage from an lively Wolves group, taking a lead within the second quarter that they’d by no means relinquish en path to a 3-0 sequence lead.
Nikola Jokic inched nearer to Wilt Chamberlain’s document along with his seventh-career playoff triple-double, placing up 20 factors, 12 assists and 11 rebounds on 9-for-13 taking pictures, together with 2 of three from 3-point vary. Michael Porter Jr. was glorious, scoring a team-high 25 factors on 4-for-8 3-point taking pictures, whereas flattening 9 rebounds.
The Nuggets acquired contributions from your entire roster, as all eight rotation gamers scored at the very least eight factors, with six in double-figures.
The Timberwolves continued to battle regardless of trailing for your entire second half, however their effort fell brief as Denver pulled away within the remaining minutes. Anthony Edwards was spectacular with 36 factors, seven rebounds and 5 assists, making 13 of his 15 free throw makes an attempt. After scoring simply 21 whole factors within the first two video games of the sequence, Karl-Anthony Towns broke out for 27 factors on 10-for-17 taking pictures, whereas Rudy Gobert added 18 factors and 10 rebounds earlier than fouling out late within the fourth quarter.
The Wolves now face the steepest of uphill climbs, as no NBA crew has ever come again from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff sequence. Game 4 is about for Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET on the Target Center, because the Wolves try to keep away from elimination and the Nuggets look to finish the sweep.
Here are just a few takeaways from Friday evening’s sport.
Denver runs deep
One of the query marks for Denver heading into the playoffs was its depth, however the reserves confirmed out in Game 3. Bruce Brown set the tone after getting into the sport within the first quarter, aggressively entering into the paint and creating transition alternatives with steals and blocks. He completed with 12 factors, 4 assists and three rebounds, and tied Aaron Gordon as a team-high plus-11. With Nuggets coach Michael Malone driving a good eight-man rotation with Gordon serving because the backup middle, Jeff Green and Christian Braun mixed for 17 factors on 7-of-13 taking pictures to maintain Denver in entrance whereas the starters sat.
Braun made a few clean finishes, together with this one over Edwards — which he led Edwards learn about afterward.
The Nuggets clearly have their sights on a championship, and they’ll want their bench to point out up constantly for that to occur.
Ant joins Kobe
Edwards has matured so shortly that you simply generally neglect he is solely 21 years previous. With his 36 factors on Friday evening, Edwards joined Kobe Bryant with the second-most 30-point NBA playoff video games earlier than turning 22 years previous.
He was Minnesota’s solely lifeline for a lot of the sport as they tried to chip into the Denver lead. Like most prolific scorers within the NBA, Edwards discovered a technique to get his factors regardless of his bounce shot not falling. He went 3-for-11 from 3-point vary, however made seven of his 11 2-point makes an attempt and took 15 free throws. He was additionally lively on the defensive finish, showcasing his two-way potential with this unimaginable block adopted by a coast-to-coast lay-in.
The Wolves might not win this sequence, however they’ve a real playoff No. 1 possibility for the foreseeable future.
MPJ the Barometer
With Jokic and Jamal Murray taken as constant stars, the query for the Nuggets is usually which participant will step up and be the third man. Sometimes it is Gordon, generally it is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who had 14 factors in Game 3, however typically the burden falls on Porter. In Denver wins this season, Porter averaged 18.8 factors on 45 p.c 3-point taking pictures. In losses, he put up 14.8 factors per sport and shot 35 p.c from deep.
At 6-10 with a real bounce shot and a excessive launch, Porter can primarily get his shot off every time he desires, and he sometimes has bother determining when to say himself. Malone acknowledged as a lot previous to Game 3.
“The majority of his life, pre-NBA, the ball was all the time in his fingers,” Malone stated. “He was the person. With us, he is on the market with some actually good gamers. He’s actually purchased into and proven large progress on offense relating to enjoying with out the ball.”
As a lot as Porter’s offense contributes to Nuggets profitable, his protection is equally as essential. Porter tends to get complacent on the defensive finish, however when he is locked in — like he was in Game 3 — the Nuggets are very troublesome to beat.
