The Timberwolves forced their first game at the defending champion Denver Nuggets' "one-mile home court."
While "Jordan-esque" has become a common modifier, Anthony Edwards just finished Jordanish with a career-high 43 points against Jokic, who is about to win the regular season MVP for the third time in four years and has maintained the best posture on the planet since the spring of 2023, and his home court.
Hit the heart of the Nuggets head-on.
At one point, the Timberwolves led 18-4, with Edwards scoring 13 of those points.
Then the Nuggets shook off the true colors of the championship, a 21-3, overtook at the end of the first quarter, and even 35-30, but was led by Edwards to catch up, the Timberwolves scored 40 points in the half, and Edwards scored 25 points.
The Nuggets took the lead at one point in the third quarter, and Edwards came back from the ground up with one arm.
In the fourth quarter, Edwards and Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reed ended the Nuggets in one go.
It's not like the Nuggets haven't woken up, it's not that they haven't reversed, but Edwards changed everything like a wolf.
And it's not just a rush of scoring — the Nuggets aren't just bloody.
In the opening game, the Timberwolves replicated the Lakers' strategy of defending Jokic - No. 4 Hachimura defended Jokic, No. 5 thick eyebrows - No. 4 Towns defended Jokic, No. 5 Gobert todi, forcing Jokic to miss the first three shots.
At the same time, Edwards bit the steps of the Nuggets ace Murray on the defensive end, and the offensive end took advantage of the Nuggets' fear of his three-point shot, and saw the weakness of Murray's ring, and hit Murray for three points after the shooting feint shook Porter, called the cover to shoot Murray, counterattacked one step to get rid of Gordon, cut inside and went straight to the basket, and the Timberwolves were 18-4.
But here Coach Finch made a mistake that could not be counted wrong: less than seven minutes into the game, he replaced Towns, who was effective in defending Jokic, and Conley, the team's commander. Jokic was able to confront Gobert.
So the Nuggets went on a 21-3 run: Reggie Jackson, Jokic and Porter's three-pointers rained down.
At the same time, the Nuggets used expansion + blocking the ball, speeding up and counterattacking after continuous cutting errors, and compressing Edwards' space by the way: we all know that Edwards wants to break through and shoot strongly, drive straight in, but be dizzy when encountering dense space. Edwards did hesitate for a moment, including being surrounded by the Nuggets when he was eating hard.
Reed, Walker and Lee Kyle were used by the Nuggets: the Nuggets expanded their defense, "You dribble more — as long as it's not Conley or Edwards!"
The Nuggets' strategy is that Murray is small and big: at the beginning of the second quarter, Murray blocked a ball from Towns, which is a copy of the previous Nuggets hitting the Suns, "Ayton can't gnaw Murray, what should you do?"
By the time the Nuggets led 38-32, the Timberwolves had seven assists and eight turnovers. Thanks to Edwards, the deficit was 2 points.
In the third quarter, it was Conley who set the plate, and Downs scored 11 points in four minutes. "I can't sit down with Murray, who is a lap younger than me, but I can shoot/break in front of him!"
But the Timberwolves were just struggling with each other until the end of the third quarter, when Edwards and Reed flashed, pressed, accelerated, singled, and took the lead.
Coach Finch was ruthless, in the middle of the fourth quarter, it was Gobert + Reed + Madan + Edwards + Walker to finish, Reed took advantage of the Nuggets' fear of Edwards, a three-pointer, a weak-side breakout, a point into the frontcourt rebound, and the lead;
The advantages and disadvantages of the Timberwolves are reflected in this game:
The disadvantages are the confusion after Conley and Towns go down (so they will be overtaken after leading 18-4), Edwards' hesitation in the face of pinch shots (7 assists and 8 turnovers in the first half), Downs can't eat Murray under the basket (embarrassment in the second quarter), and the sluggishness of the bench offense (Reed, Walker and Lee Kyle are off the line).
The advantages are Towns' basket offense in the third quarter (11 points in 4 minutes), Reed's takeover after waking up in the third and fourth quarters, Gobert's defense (Jokic scored 32 points but shot 44%, Murray shot 0 of 5 in the opening game, Jokic + Gordon was cut off the line), and Edwards' blood.
In April 2022, a record after the battle between the Timberwolves and Grizzlies:
Edwards' movement is the most like a teenage Jordan after Wade, although sometimes I think he is a bit like McCantz......
Both he and Wade are able to move quickly with a low center of gravity on a day-to-day basis (which is a real concern for the knees), and can make a lightning first step at any time without warning.
The shooting is still a bit leisurely pushing, and the gestures are not soft, so there is no one in the last moment of the day.
But a 20-year-old kid can shoot 5 of 11 three-pointers and 5 of 6 free throws in today's big game (although the arc is really a problem), it really depends on a big heart and hard work. It's really big heart and hard work.
Edwards proved that he—as long as he doesn't get hurt—can be relied upon in the face of adversity, both physically and mentally.
Now, two years later, we've all seen it.
The most touching detail is the attitude.
The best embodiment of attitude?
Murray, the arrow of the Nuggets, who was behind 30-35 in the second quarter, blocked a fast break from the Nuggets and wiped Reed's ass when he fell behind 32-38, first made a three-pointer, and then copied Jokic's one-shot counterattack to chase down the difference of 1 point. When the Nuggets led by five points in the third quarter, Conley hit a three-pointer, and then Porternet cut through the Timberwolves' defensive pressure, Edwards blocked, and Towns counterattacked with a dunk and scored free throws.
Defense + offense. Offensive and defensive ends.
Constantly stopping the Nuggets on both ends of the floor and trying to turn the game around.
Including the fourth quarter of life and death, first a layup, a mid-range shot, forced the Nuggets to hit him, the Timberwolves boldly put down Conley, and he made the ball: assisted Reed for a three-pointer, a backcourt rebound and then missed the catch, Reed clicked the rebound, and then gave Reed a break, leading by 5 points - Reed's 7 points in a row, thanks to Edwards.
There used to be a so-called "Jordan test", that is, let a person who doesn't know basketball at all watch a Jordan game, and after watching it, they will probably also conclude that "it is the 23rd who is the strongest".
Over the past year or so, Jokic has competed with Booker, Durant, LeBron, Bushy Eyebrows, and Jimmy Butler. Win or lose, he always looks like the best player on the spot.
For the first time in a long time, there's a guy who's even brighter than Jokic when he faces off in the playoffs. Even if you look at someone who doesn't know anything about the ball, you will probably think, "In this game, the kid who wears No. 5 is the best." ”
What is the so-called Jordan's temperament? Jordan himself said that Kobe Bryant learned many of his moves, and Riley said that Wade in 2006 was Jordan who was two inches less. But in the end, the most crucial detail is probably the famous quote of Jordan's old rival Evenhush Hawkins: He's not just going to beat you, he's going to knock you down and pierce you.
Lao Li, as Jordan's old opponent, said that every round of Michael's game is like playing the last round of his life.
That's what Edwards is all about today. On both offensive and defensive ends, he was extremely vicious, facing the Nuggets head-on. Just like in the previous series, he chased his idol Durant to play. Today, the Timberwolves really trusted him: in the third quarter, he overtook the jumper, the Timberwolves were 1-4, if they couldn't shoot, they were immediately counterattacked, and he threw it; in the fourth quarter, Conley went down, he was the team's main control, and as a result, he let Reed score 7 points in a row.
You think it's a desperate gamble, and he thinks it's a big stage in life.
When the Nuggets beat the Lakers before, LeBron said that the Nuggets' offense was perfect and there were no weaknesses.
After today's game, Coach Malone said of Edwards, "His style of play has no weaknesses, and it will be a huge challenge to stop him." ”
He wants to attack head-on, attack hard, and make sure both his side and his opponent "Yes, I've got you covered." I want you to see with your own eyes that I have broken your hearts. ”
This (occasionally unreasonable, often unreasonable) cruelty, including that mid-range shot after the double-pull in the fourth quarter, is really Jordan.