The NBA playoffs continued, and today the Nuggets traveled to take on the Timberwolves, and in the end they lost to the Timberwolves 70-115 and swallowed a big loss. Jokic had 22 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists in this game, and Murray scored 10 points on 4-of-18 shooting. The Nuggets were very sluggish today, shooting just 30% from the field and 19.4% from three-point range. What's more, the Nuggets bench today had three players on 1-of-17 shooting combined to score just two points.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves' bench lineup performed very well, Nazrid chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Alexander Walker hit three three-pointers to score nine points. Lee Kyle also had four points, three rebounds and three assists. There is a clear gap between the bench lineups of the two sides, which is also the reason why the Nuggets lost this game. Even today, when the two sides closed in the fourth quarter, both sides sent players from the third lineup, but after that lineup came on the court, the Nuggets kept losing points, and Malone was also scratching his head on the sidelines.
In fact, the Nuggets have been a team with a very small rotation this year, and they are a team that relies on starters to play. And last season they had a substitute who played a very key role, and he was no less important than the starter, he was Bruce Brown, who was outstanding last season. Last season, when Brown was with the Nuggets, he averaged 26.5 minutes per game in the playoffs, averaging 12 points, 4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 51% from the field. It can be said that he is also the hero of the Nuggets being able to win the championship, because his vitality and defense on the court are something that many people do not have.
But after the Nuggets won the championship, he also played a value, and he was able to sign a two-year, $45 million contract in the offseason, and the Nuggets could not keep him. Without Bruce Brown, the Nuggets don't have the same level on the bench as before, including Jeff Green last season, and this year's Nuggets' overall bench quality is completely incomparable to last season's, which makes it even more necessary for them to be consistent in the starters. And this year Murray is not as consistent as last season, so this year's Nuggets don't look as smooth in the playoffs as last season.
Now Malone really has no cards in his hand, and he can only rely on these starters to turn the tide in the playoffs. He can only rely on these starters to be consistent in every game. But in the long playoff run, it's not enough to rely on these guys alone, they have to have a deep rotation. And no one in the starting lineup can afford to be injured, as long as anyone is injured, it will be a fatal blow to the Nuggets. So this year's Nuggets have a tough future. It seems that it will be difficult for any team to win two consecutive titles.