Nuggets G3 Campaign
Murray's resurrection
In the first two games of the game, the Nuggets suffered a strong comeback from the Timberwolves at home, losing two games in a row, which shocked countless fans. As the defending champions, their performance is too sluggish, especially the team's leading scorer Murray, who averages only 12 points per game and shoots less than 40% from the field. In the G3 battle, the former Most Valuable Player of the Finals finally regained his former style and staged an unforgettable "immortal" drama.
From the start, Murray showed great offensive enthusiasm. He kept trying to shoot from mid-range, and although he missed some shots in the opening game, he quickly found his senses. In the first quarter, he had already scored eight points. Entering the second quarter, Murray's hands are getting hotter and hotter, whether it is a pull-up jump shot, a backward dribble or a three-point shot, he is at ease. In this quarter, he single-handedly took on the Wolves defense, scoring 10 points to help the team stretch the margin to double digits.
In the second half, Murray's offense was still in full swing. He was constantly moving around the middle distance, looking for a shot. Even in an extremely passive stance, his shots are solid and secure. In the whole game, Murray shot 11 of 24, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and 6 free throws, and cut down 24 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. His difficult whistle-blowing balls and body-twisting pull-up jump shots all amazed the fans at the scene. In this battle, Murray completely shook off the gloom of the slump and re-incarnated as a scoring machine for the Nuggets.
Jokic triple-double
If Murray is the scoring hero of this game, then Jokic is undoubtedly the biggest commander of the game. As one of the league's top interior players, Jokic showed his unmatched all-round strength in G3.
On the offensive end, Jokic took turns to play his offensive skills. He squeezed the defense inside and smashed the ball into the basket with a tough move; He made a pull-up jump shot from mid-range and used superb feints to shake the defense down; He can also hit three-pointers from the outside, making him the team's most reliable outside firepower. In the game, Jokic shot 15-of-24, 2-of-4 from three-point range, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line, contributing a game-high 40 points.
Defensively, Jokic is also the pillar of the Nuggets. He used his strong physique to blow the Timberwolves' interior line to the ground. He grabbed 7 rebounds in the whole game, and even stifled the opponent's offense with blocks and steals at critical moments. In addition to playing alone, Jokic was the team's best playmaker, diching out 13 assists throughout the game and helping his teammates score.
In this game, Jokic completed a gorgeous triple-double of 40 points, 7 rebounds and 13 assists. His all-powerful performance made the fans go crazy. As recognized as the top center in the league, Jokic uses his strength to interpret what it means to be an "uncrowned king". With him in charge, the Nuggets' championship dream will never be extinguished.
Edwards 19 points to support
In the Timberwolves camp, the young champion show Edwards is also a big contributor to this one. As the star of the team, he stepped up in the G3 campaign to stop the team's decline.
Shortly after the opening, Edwards opened the door to personal credits. He got up and down in his mid-range pull-up jump shot and was comfortable with his three-point shot. He contributed 11 points to the team in a single quarter, temporarily reversing the passive situation. Entering the second half, Edwards' offense was even more powerful. He constantly drives the offense with breakaways, whether it's scoring mid-range jumpers or giving the ball inside to finish.
In the whole game, Edwards shot 16 of 25 and 5 of 8 three-pointers, scoring 19 points, 4 rebounds and 9 assists. His change of direction and step-back three-pointers all showed his unparalleled talent. As a player at just 22 years old, Edwards has already shown maturity and consistency beyond his peers. He is the leader of the young team of the Timberwolves, and he will undoubtedly become a superstar in the league in the future.
Series recap
Before the G3 game, the Timberwolves tied the overall score at 1-1 by virtue of home-court advantage. This life-and-death battle between the two sides will directly determine who can take the initiative in the series.
As soon as they came up, the two sides launched a fierce offensive and defensive confrontation. The Timberwolves relied on Edwards' touch to lead in the first quarter. But soon, the Nuggets' outside touch was ignited, and they quickly leveled the score and opened the door to offense in the second quarter. By halftime, the Nuggets had a 15-point lead.
Yibian fought again, and the Nuggets' advantage became more and more obvious. Jokic and Murray took turns to widen the gap to more than 20 points. While the Timberwolves' Edwards and Towns didn't give up, their efforts only temporarily halted the widening of the point difference. By the end of the third quarter, the Nuggets had extended their advantage to 27 points.
In the fourth quarter, the two sides had already entered garbage time early. The Nuggets have always maintained an advantage of around 20 points while rotating the lineup. At the end of the game, they beat the Timberwolves with a score of 117-90 to make the overall score 2-1.
This victory allowed the Nuggets to regain the initiative in the series. As the defending champions, they finally showed what they deserved, which made countless fans excited. The Timberwolves, a young powerhouse, exposed their lack of experience and courage, and they were still a little young in the big scene. The series is far from over, and the two sides will fight it out more fiercely in the upcoming games.
Nuggets G4 fights back
Jokic 24+14+9 triple-double
After the G3 victory, the Nuggets once again dominated the game in G4. As the star of the team, Jokic once again showed his unparalleled dominance in this game.
From the start, Jokic dominated the offense. He squeezed the defense inside and smashed the ball into the basket with a tough move; He made a pull-up jump shot from mid-range and used superb feints to shake the defense down; He can also hit three-pointers from the outside, making him the team's most reliable outside firepower. No matter where he was in the position, Jokic was at ease and put up an amazing offensive performance.
Defensively, Jokic is also the pillar of the Nuggets. He used his strong physique to blow the Timberwolves' interior line to the ground. He grabbed 14 rebounds in the game, and even stifled the opponent's offense with blocks and steals at critical moments. In addition to playing alone, Jokic was the team's best playmaker, diching out nine assists throughout the game and helping his teammates score consistently.
In this game, Jokic completed a gorgeous triple-double of 24 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists. His all-powerful performance once again made the fans go crazy. As recognized as the top center in the league, Jokic uses his strength to interpret what it means to be an "uncrowned king". With him in charge, the Nuggets' championship dream will never be extinguished.
Gordon had 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists
Under the leadership of Jokic, the Nuggets played a high-quality offensive battle. Aaron Gordon is undoubtedly a member of the decorated team.
As the Nuggets' No. 3 position, Gordon showed his unmatched all-round strength in this game. On the outside, he constantly hits three-pointers and becomes the team's most reliable hand-pick; On the inside, he smashed the ball into the basket with a tough move and played an impressive power basketball.
In the whole game, Gordon shot 11 of 12, 3 of 4 three-point shots, and 5 free throws, and scored 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. His change of direction and step-back three-pointers all showed his unparalleled talent. As a tall three, Gordon is undoubtedly one of the league's toughest players to defend, and he can break down opposition defenses from any position.
In this game, Gordon's outstanding play added the last dry wood to the Nuggets' offensive firepower. With him as an all-rounder, the Nuggets' offensive formation has become omnipotent, and the defensive end has been greatly pressured and dispersed. It's a blessing for the Nuggets to have a player like Gordon.
Edwards had 44 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists
In the Timberwolves, the young champion Edwards is also a big contributor to this game. As the star of the team, he stepped up again in the G4 game and did his best for the team.
Shortly after the opening, Edwards opened the door to personal credits. He got up and down in his mid-range pull-up jump shot and was comfortable with his three-point shot. He contributed 9 points to the team in a single quarter, temporarily reversing the passive situation. Entering the second half, Edwards' offense was even more powerful. He constantly drives the offense with breakaways, whether it's scoring mid-range jumpers or giving the ball inside to finish.
In the whole game, Edwards shot 16 of 25 and 5 of 8 three-point shots, scoring 44 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. His change of direction and step-back three-pointers all showed his unparalleled talent. As a player at just 22 years old, Edwards has already shown maturity and consistency beyond his peers. He is the leader of the young team of the Timberwolves, and he will undoubtedly become a superstar in the league in the future.
Series recap
Prior to the G4 game, the overall score of the two sides was 2-1, with the Nuggets taking a temporary lead. This one will directly determine who will take the initiative in the series.
As soon as they came up, the two sides launched a fierce offensive and defensive confrontation. The Timberwolves relied on Edwards' touch to lead in the first quarter. But soon, the Nuggets' outside touch was ignited, and they quickly equalized the score. In the second quarter, the Nuggets' offense opened the door, and they had a 15-point lead at halftime.
Yibian fought again, and the Nuggets' advantage became more and more obvious. Jokic and Gordon took turns to widen the gap to more than 18 points. While the Timberwolves' Edwards did his best, his teammates couldn't provide strong support. By the end of the third quarter, the Nuggets had extended their advantage to 18 points.
In the fourth quarter, the battle between the two sides became more intense. At one point, Edwards single-handedly narrowed the deficit to seven points for the Timberwolves. But Jokic and Murray saved the opponent's comeback in time to help the Nuggets seal the victory. At the end of the game, the Nuggets won 115-107 and extended the overall score to 3-1.
This victory allowed the Nuggets to regain control of the series. As the defending champions, they finally showed what they deserved, which made countless fans excited. The Timberwolves, a young powerhouse, once again exposed their lack of experience and courage, and it was difficult to hold back the final moments in the big scene. The series is not over yet, and the two sides will have a more fierce battle in the next game.
The Nuggets took a 3-2 lead
Jokic had 40 points, 7 rebounds and 13 assists
In the G5 game, Jokic once again became the biggest contributor to the Nuggets' victory. As one of the league's top centers, he showed his unrivalled all-around dominance on this game.
From the start, Jokic dominated the offense. He squeezed the defense inside and used toughness
The Timberwolves need to adjust their strategy
In the face of the Nuggets' tough offense, the Timberwolves need to adjust their defensive strategy. Instead of continuing with a frontal hard steel strategy, they should adopt a more flexible and targeted defense.
They need to do more with Jokic. While this may increase the scoring opportunities for other Nuggets players, it can also limit Jokic's ability to play alone. They need to increase their defensive intensity and reduce the Nuggets' open cuts and dunks on the inside.
The Timberwolves need to improve their offensive efficiency and reduce turnovers and passive shots. They must capitalize on their youthful energy and play a fluid and efficient offense on the offensive end to put more defensive pressure on the Nuggets.
The Timberwolves need to be patient and determined. Faced with the strength of the championship, they cannot be easily beaten moral. Instead, they have to stay focused, fight one battle at a time, and try to turn the tide of passivity.
This series is a huge test for the Timberwolves. But as long as they make the right adjustments and play to their strengths, they will definitely have a chance to beat the Nuggets and break through the encirclement.
The Nuggets are all out
For the Nuggets, they will have to give it their all and solidify their home-court advantage. Although they have already won two cities on the road, playing at home will undoubtedly give them more confidence.
Jokic needs to maintain the current offensive heat. He's the Nuggets' most reliable scorer and the heart of the playmaker's offense. As long as he continues to shoot efficiently, he can put a lot of pressure on the Timberwolves' defense.
Murray and Gordon need strong support on the offensive end. Their outside firepower is a great addition to the Nuggets' offense, pulling apart the Timberwolves' defense and creating space for interior operations.
Defensively, the Nuggets need to limit Edwards' single-handedness, while also placing a high value on the shooting ability of interior players like Towns. They need to compress their defensive intensity as a whole and not let the Timberwolves score too easily on the inside.
The Nuggets' bench also needs to give it their all. A young player like Braun needs to contribute his energy off the bench to create respite for the starters.
As the defending champions, the Nuggets have a lot of championship experience. As long as they play at the level they deserve, they will be able to beat the Timberwolves and continue their title defense.