Nikola Jokic scored 16 of his 35 factors within the fourth quarter, and Aaron Gordon had 27 factors on 11-for-12 capturing to propel the Denver Nuggets to a series-tying 115-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night time in Recreation 4 of the Western Convention semifinals.
Jamal Murray had 12 of his 19 factors within the third quarter for the Nuggets in a momentum carryover from his buzzer-beating swish from behind half courtroom, and the Wolves solely minimize the deficit beneath double digits within the second half for transient stretches.
Anthony Edwards scored 44 factors in one other spectacular efficiency for Minnesota, capturing 16 for 25 from the ground. However regardless of a 42-31 rebounding edge, the Wolves have been crushed at their very own recreation for the second straight time at house by the defending NBA champions, who have been fired up after dropping the primary two video games of the sequence on their house courtroom.
The sequence goes again to Denver for Recreation 5 on Tuesday night time.
Mike Conley had 15 factors, Karl-Anthony Cities went simply 5 for 18 from the sector for 13 factors and 12 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert got here alive late to attain 11 factors and seize 14 rebounds. Nonetheless, the Wolves have been on their heels at house for a second straight recreation.
Gordon did not miss till there was 3:39 to go. The Nuggets scored eight factors in 20 seconds to shut the primary half, highlighted by Murray’s unbelievable heave.
The three off days between Video games 2 and three did the Wolves no good, yielding a 27-point defeat after which coach Chris Finch declared them feeling “fats and lazy” after all of the fawning close to and much for his or her efficiency in Denver. They wanted to reintroduce their edge instantly to maintain the gang constantly roaring, and Edwards dutifully led that response.
The 2020 first total draft choose scored 9 factors within the first four-plus minutes earlier than Murray even touched the ball, with Gordon and Jokic sharing the purpose guard duties to scale back the burden on Murray and his strained left calf muscle.
After a quiet Recreation 3, Edwards was on a mission to will the Wolves to win, because the Nuggets totally anticipated. Their loading up on him within the lane wasn’t sufficient, as he hit from in every single place on the courtroom, however the remainder of the Wolves regularly did not make the Nuggets pay for leaving them open.
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They missed tip-ins on the rim, not simply nook 3s. Cities missed his first seven photographs, and whereas his effort and protection by no means suffered, he was a multitude attempting to get the ball to the basket, not often drawing the fouls he argued for.
The Wolves confirmed off their league-best protection and their enviable depth within the first two video games, however the Nuggets copied and pasted that method on the street. When their secondary scorers and bench gamers are hitting their jumpers, they’re awfully powerful to beat.
Gordon, Justin Vacation (10 factors), Christian Braun (11 factors) and Reggie Jackson (six factors) went a mixed 8 for 11 from 3-point vary. They fueled a 26-4 run that bridged the primary and second quarters, and all however 5 factors on that surge got here with the four-time NBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months Gobert resting on the bench.
Reporting by The Related Press.
Nikola Jokic
Denver Nuggets
Minnesota Timberwolves
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