In the NBA playoffs that ended today, in the first game of the second round of the West, the Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 106-99 away, ushering in a good start, leading 1-0.
This game can be regarded as a twist and turn, the Timberwolves started with a big lead, the Nuggets quickly overtook the score, the Nuggets were still ahead by 4 points at halftime, and the scores of the two sides were anxious in the second half, but at the last moment, the Timberwolves took away the victory of the game with a wave of offensive climax, and the Nuggets of 4 games of small fire and slow simmering and big fire were juiced, and this time they were juiced.
And in this game, it can also be seen that the Timberwolves have the possibility of winning the championship, they have a good performance on both offensive and defensive ends, in the first round they swept the Suns by relying on both offense and defense, and today they limited the Nuggets to 100 points.
The Timberwolves' lineup and their style of play are indeed fully qualified to win the championship.
The first is the inner twin towers.
Although Gobert was ridiculed last year, Gobert still played a crucial role this season, and his defensive range on the interior is very large, especially in the game against the Nuggets, Gobert's value will be more obvious.
The Nuggets are a team that is good at air cuts, Gordon and Porter Jr. will have a lot of air catches, with Gobert here, his long arms can directly cut off the air cuts, and Gobert destroyed the Nuggets' air cuts many times in today's game, giving the Timberwolves the opportunity to fight back.
In the first game, Gobert had 6 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks, with a plus/minus of +12 points.
In addition to Gobert's main defense, there is also Downs' main offense, such an interior twin tower, which is rare in today's NBA, Downs did not perform very well today, but he also got 20 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Then there's the outer core.
It's never enough to have twin towers, and the NBA has a habit that when it comes to the final moments of the game, it's often the outside players who control the rhythm and launch the offense, so it's definitely not enough to have an inside star.
The OK combination still had to rely on Kobe Bryant's outside line in the final moments, and although the Nuggets had Jokic, it was Murray who got the key ball forward at the last moment.
The same as the Timberwolves, the outside offense has to rely on Edwards, although he is young, he is very stable, he has grown extremely fast this season, he is not inferior to Biao Durant in the first round, and he is also playing very resolutely at the critical moment today, and this young man, who looks like Durant and Jordan, is completely a superstar face.
There is an old man in the family, and if there is a treasure.
Veterans are key, especially veterans who are hungry to win the title. And the Timberwolves have one - Mike Conley.
Conley is a traditional point guard, he has a very stable mood and excellent ball handling ability, maybe he can't do well as the core, but as a veteran is still very good, Conley's performance today is very exciting, he made a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter, and got 14 points and 10 assists in the game, with a plus/minus of +20, the highest on the team.
Role player confidence.
Under the framework of the main force, there is also a need for role players who dare to shoot, such as Nazrid. Today he became a wonder in the fourth quarter, first hitting a three-point shot at the buzzer, then a dunk, and then a three-point shot, it was he who set off the climax of the Timberwolves' counterattack, so to speak, the Nuggets worked hard all day today, and finally lost to Reed's sudden outburst.
Today's Timberwolves are indeed fully qualified to win the championship, and from the perspective of the lineup, their lineup can restrain the Nuggets, as long as the Timberwolves do not make low-level mistakes, with the habit of the Nuggets slow to heat, I am afraid it will be difficult to complete the juice in the fourth quarter, and finally can only swallow the bitter fruit.
This season is the first time the Timberwolves have reached the second round since the 2003-2004 season, and the last time they reached the Western Conference finals and ultimately lost to the Lakers F4, how far can they go this time?