Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 106-80 victory over the Denver Nuggets, giving the Timberwolves a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. The win marked the Wolves’ sixth consecutive victory in the playoffs. With dominant performances from Towns and Edwards, the Timberwolves have put themselves in a position to potentially close out the series with wins on Friday and Sunday in Minneapolis. The Nuggets, who are the reigning NBA champions, struggled to keep up with the Wolves’ relentless play, with Aaron Gordon leading Denver with 20 points and Nikola Jokic contributing 16 points and 16 rebounds. However, Jamal Murray struggled, scoring only 8 points on 3-of-18 shooting.
Despite playing without starting center Rudy Gobert, who was absent due to the birth of his son, the Timberwolves continued to overpower the Nuggets with their aggressive play. Kyle Anderson stepped up in Gobert’s absence, helping to hound Jokic and disrupt Denver’s offense. During a crucial first-half stretch, the Timberwolves outscored the Nuggets 43-18, causing frustration for Denver as head coach Michael Malone and Jamal Murray displayed their displeasure with the officiating. Malone received an extended blowup during a timeout, while Murray threw a heat pack onto the court in a moment of frustration. The Timberwolves maintained their momentum throughout the game, leading by as much as 26 points at halftime.
Heading into Game 2, Malone urged the Nuggets to start strong and avoid falling behind early, as they had in previous playoff games. Despite a solid start from Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets struggled to match the Timberwolves’ intensity. Jokic and Murray were unable to generate significant offense in the first half, leading to a large halftime deficit for Denver. The Timberwolves continued to build on their lead in the second half, eventually cruising to a 106-80 victory. With the win, the Timberwolves now have a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Nuggets and are poised to advance further in the playoffs.
The loss marked a setback for the Nuggets, who had been dominant at home prior to their back-to-back losses to the Timberwolves. Denver’s struggles in Game 2 highlighted their inability to contain Towns and Edwards, who combined for 54 points in the victory. With Game 3 approaching, the Nuggets will need to regroup and make adjustments to avoid falling into a deeper hole in the series. Faced with a red-hot Timberwolves team, the Nuggets must find a way to slow down Minnesota’s offense and establish a stronger defensive presence in order to turn the series in their favor.
