A week ago, many people in the basketball world were planning the offseason itinerary for the Denver Nuggets. They had just gotten blown out by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second game of their Western Conference semifinal series, 106-80.
Their homecourt advantage they fought all regular season for was gone in the blink of an eye. The upstart Timberwolves had won Games 1 and 2 in the Mile High City, taking a commanding 2-0 lead back to Minneapolis.
How would the defending NBA Champions respond? They were being written off as if the series was over already. But, they didn’t reach the heights they had by accident, as their championship mettle was on full display for Games 3 and 4.
In Game 3, the Denver Nuggets returned the favor with a blowout victory of their own, winning 117-90. Minnesota still held homecourt advantage with a 2-1 series lead, but that disappeared on Sunday night.
The Nuggets picked up another impressive victory, winning 115-107. Leading the way is MVP Nikola Jokic, who scored 35 points with seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block.
A major difference in this game compared to others in the series was that the Denver bench was able to get something going. Christian Braun and Justin Holiday scored 11 and 10 points respectively, helping their team to a 27-13 edge in bench production.
The Nuggets’ strategy was a straightforward one. Anthony Edwards is a rising star and played like one again, pouring in 44 points. But, they didn’t let anyone else have too big of a game. Five other Timberwolves scored in double-figures, but 15 by Mike Conley Jr. was the next most.
Can Minnesota respond and pick up another victory on the road to take back control of the series? Or will the Denver Nuggets respond in a home game, taking a commanding 3-2 lead and handing the Timberwolves their first losing streak of more than two games this season?
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