Nuggets vs Timberwolves
The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and the Western Conference semifinals are most noteworthy for the Timberwolves vs Nuggets. Minnesota, who led 2-0 in the big score, sat at home and aimed to win match point in this game. The defending champions are looking to bounce back and are committed to extending the series. The two favorites staged a fierce confrontation. Rudy Gobert returned and continued to start with Edwards, Towns, McDaniels and Conley, while the Denver starting five were still Jokic, Murray, Porter Jr., Gordon and Pope.
Murray 18+2, Nuggets collapse Timberwolves lead by 15 points! Jokic 7+9, Porter Downs 12 points each!
Half-time game review
At the beginning of the first quarter, Pope scored from mid-range, Murray scored a layup, and Edwards and Towns responded with three-pointers. Gordon dunked, Porter and Towns collided on the outside, Conley hit a free throw, Porter hit 3 of 4 free throws, Gobert dunked, and Porter scored a layup.
Jokic defends Gobert
Conley made a throw, Murray scored, Reed scored on a layup, and Jokic made 1 of 2 free throws. Murray scored on a pull-up layup, Edwards missed from the outside line, Jokic scored on a board, and Walker responded with a high-post jumper. Murray and Holiday made it difficult from mid-range range, Edwards scored a layup in the air, and Jokic hit a single shot in the box. At the end of the first quarter, the Nuggets led 28-20.
In the second quarter, Holiday and Murray successively made efforts from the outside, Towns hit a 3-pointer, McDaniels made his third foul, Porter hit 2 free throws, Pope scored on a mid-range shot, and Edwards scored on a rebound. Braun and Murray hit the inside to score points one after another, Finch asked for a timeout, the Timberwolves missed consecutive singles, Braun hit an outside shot, and the Nuggets launched a 17-5 offensive frenzy to expand the difference to 20 points. Jokic blocked Conley, Gobert scored in the restricted area, Edwards hit a layup, Conley hit a three-pointer, the Timberwolves responded with a 7-0 run, and Mike Malone called a timeout.
Jokic vs. Murray
Porter scored on a layup, Gobert missed 2 free throws, Jokic scored on a mid-range shot, Reggie Jackson scored 2 free throws, and the Nuggets scored six straight points to stabilize the situation. Reed and Conley hit 2 free throws in succession, and Murray scored a difficult single. Walker scored on a layup, Murray hit a long shot, the Timberwolves hit a series of outside shots, and Towns hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding. Murray was fouled on offense, and the Nuggets led 56-41 at halftime.
At halftime, the Nuggets led by 15 points
Murray 18+2
Nuggets backcourt giant Jamal Murray was on fire in the first half. Murray played 22 minutes in the half, shooting 8-of-13, 2-of-3 from three-point range, and 0 from the free-throw line, finishing with 18 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Murray shot 62 percent from the field to score the highest score of the first half. Murray, who scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first quarter, scored 10 points in the second quarter and helped the Nuggets go on a 17-5 offensive spree to extend the margin to 20 points.
Jamal Murray
Murray's rampage was the main reason why Denver scored a huge 15-point lead at halftime.
Jokic 7+9
Nuggets interior giant Nikola Jokic played 22 minutes in the first half, shooting 3-of-8, 0-of-1 from three-point range, and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, scoring 7 points, 9 boards, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, with a plus/minus of +10. Jokic didn't shoot much, but he showed his all-around skills. Jokic's rebounding and assist stats are the highest on both teams.
Towns defends Jokic
Jokic is expected to have a triple-double this game, and with the second half coming, Jokic will put more effort on the offensive end.
Porter Downs scored 12 points each
Nuggets forward giant Porter Jr. played 15 minutes in the first two quarters, shooting 3-of-6, 1-of-2 three-pointers, 5-of-6 free throws, scoring 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 fouls. Porter was aggressive on the offensive end, earning the second-highest score for both teams.
Jokic singles Downs
Carl Anthony Towns, the core of the Timberwolves interior, played 19 minutes in the first half, shooting 4-of-6, 4-of-4 from three-point range, and 0 from the free-throw line, and had 12 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist. Downs had a blast from the outside, shooting 100 percent from 3-point range. As the team's top scorer in the first half, Downs led the team in an effort to close the gap.