At 8 a.m. Beijing time on May 13, the NBA Western Conference semifinals G4, the Timberwolves continued to play at home against the Nuggets. A big win for the Nuggets in the last game seems to have found a way to break the Timberwolves' defense, but the Timberwolves still have home-court advantage, and the enthusiasm of hometown fans for the blessing of young teams often makes the visiting team scared.
Timberwolves home target center
Game 4 is important for both teams, the Nuggets win is to let the tiger go home, the defending champions will not lose the Kings Mountain as easily as the two games, while the Timberwolves win the series, defeating the team with the best players in the world, and their road to the first championship in team history will be smooth!
The Timberwolves won't give the Nuggets another chance to breathe
The Timberwolves' tough defense is their team's label this year, with the inside twin towers protecting the basket, the top defenders on the outside biting the ball carriers, and the benches, whether they are guards or centers, are tall and long-armed, and fast-legged demons. They are able to provide top-notch matchup intensity for 48 minutes, allowing you to get covered by long men when you switch between pick-and-rolls, while also worrying about your opponent's long-arm pick-ups.
On the offensive end, Huazi makes you wonder if "that man" is back, and the fast attack runs like a flying leopard, and the positional battle can easily eat all the opposing defenders. So far in the playoffs, he has averaged 30+6+7 per game, and as long as he can ensure this output, the Timberwolves will be invincible.
Towns is the most feared spear of the year, averaging 2.6 three-pointers on 58 shooting per game, and he made 4-of-5 three-pointers in the first half of the game, but was invisible in the second half, and the Timberwolves need to give him tactical support.
The Nuggets need to turn pressure into motivation
The Nuggets are still under tremendous pressure, and a big win in Game 3 gave them a breather. But winning one game is not enough, and they must continue to turn the pressure into motivation and get the pace of the game into the way they are used to in order to regain the momentum of the series.
After a three-day break, Murray regained his form, scoring just 25 points in the first two games and 24 points in the third game. He accelerated the speed of his decisions on the spot, whether it was an individual attack or a blocking pass, he was more resolute and fast, which greatly relieved the pressure on Mr. Yoo.
Jokic paid attention to controlling his personal passing mistakes, mentioned higher positions to block and cover his teammates, was more resolute when he was in the interior position, and showed attitude on the defensive end, getting 3 steals and 3 blocks in the last game.
At the same time, whether the outside shooter can shoot is the key in Game 4, can Porter Jr.'s performance be consistent? Can Gordon's bottom corner continue to be magical? Will Pope, who has been ironed for two games, be able to return to normal? Is there enough ammunition for the substitute Holiday ? As long as these problems can be solved, the Nuggets will still be the king's army.
G4 Highlights
1. The issue of scale is the focus of this series, and the fourth game of the league has sent the famous master of control Scott Foster as the referee, and it is likely to be a stalemate until the fourth quarter.
2. Can the Nuggets get off to a good start? The Timberwolves are a smooth team, and if the Nuggets don't get off to a good start, they can easily be taken away by the Timberwolves' offensive climax.
3. Can Downs production remain stable? Downs scored 12 points in the first half, only 14 points in the game, and only 7 shots, which is too little for a team's No. 2 man, and he needs tactical support.
Match predictions
ESPN predicts Nuggets vs Timberwolves G4 win rate: Nuggets 39.3%, Timberwolves 60.7%