The NBA playoffs continue with the Timberwolves hosting the Nuggets today for Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, a game that is crucial for the Nuggets, and if they lose this game, it is almost certain that they will be eliminated. So this game is a must-win game for the Nuggets. In the end, the Nuggets won 117-90 on the road, Jokic had 24 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists, and Murray felt his recovery today, with 24 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
And the Timberwolves today, although Edwards also had a very good hand, he didn't shoot a lot, and only took 15 shots in the whole game and got 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. The Timberwolves' poor touch from beyond the three-point line today was the main reason for their loss.
In today's game, we can clearly feel from the beginning that the referee's blowing scale has begun to tighten. Compared to the previous two games, the referee in this game is less encouraging physical confrontation, and players will be whistled for fouls if they have some confrontation. If the referee adopts this way of blowing the penalty, it will be more beneficial for the Nuggets. This kind of blowing is completely detrimental to the Timberwolves, because the Timberwolves are a defensive team, they are full of physical confrontations every game, and if the referee blows like that, it will be difficult for them to use their defensive power.
So you'll find that McDaniels, the Timberwolves' most defensive player on the outside, picked up three fouls in seven minutes, resulting in McDan's playing time completely disrupted today, playing only 22 minutes in the game. Without Maidan defending, Murray is clearly playing more freely. If the referees continue to maintain this scale of blowing penalties in the next game, the Nuggets are expected to equalize the score in the next game, because the Timberwolves players dare not press the physical confrontation on the court.
Of course, for the Timberwolves, they didn't feel particularly good from beyond the three-point line today, and no one other than Edwards and Towns stepped up to help the team score, and they will need to make personnel changes in their next game. In the last game, when Gobert didn't play, their overall offense was very fluid, and after Gobert came on the court today, it did have an impact on the team's space, including Lee Kyle compared to Gobert, he is indeed better at the ball, and his teammates also got better shooting opportunities. In the next game, the Timberwolves should increase the playing time of Lee Kyle more, and since the second game is a big win for the Timberwolves, then they should draw some nutrients from the second game. to make adjustments.