NBA 2024-25: takes place at the Target Center in Minneapolis Minnesota-Denver, the great challenge that will replicate what has been shown in the previous ones Western Conference semifinalswon in game 7 by Anthony Edwards and companions.
Minnesota-Denver: the comparison between the two teams
Minnesota Timberwolves [2-1]: two fundamental victories
After the first, bad, game played in the NBA opening night against the Los Angeles Lakers the signals couldn’t have been better. A team that last season had even reached the Conference Finals it couldn’t have been the one seen in the 110-103 defeat against the yellow and purple.
In fact, two races followed, won convincingly by the T’Wolves, who calmed things down a bit and reassured the fans. Victory 117-115 at home Sacramento Kings and the clearest one for 112-101 against i Toronto Raptors.
The recovery was not only due to the usual performances of Anthony Edwardswho with his 27.7 points on average remains the team’s best scorer so far. There are also the excellent performances of the two newcomers at Minnesota, who in the first match against the Lakers they seemed to be in obvious difficulty: Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
The two former players of the The Knicks they responded present, Randle with 24 and 33 points, confirming himself as second best scorer and DiVincenzo with the 16 from the last outing, directly from the bench. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that their gradual improvement in the new gaming context of Chris Finch coincided with the latest ones two fundamental victories for the team.
Minnesota is called to another great season, and now they can no longer hide: if in the last one they started as one of thesurprises” to the West, in this they are considered to all intents and purposes among the very first forces of the Western Conference.
Denver Nuggets [1-2]: what happens?
One of the questions that will be asked most in Denver, but not only, is what is happening to these Denver Nuggets. A such a negative start it wasn’t even taken into consideration by anyone, especially since we’re talking about what it should be, like Oklahoma to Dallasone of the favorites in the Western Conference.
What is most worrying are not only the defeatsbut also how these have matured. A debut to forget, where the Nuggets fell within friendly walls against their direct rivals Oklahoma City Thunder by 87-102, which was followed by another defeat against i Los Angeles Clippers per 104-109.
Only overtime saved Nikola Jokic and teammates in the last match played and won (the only one so far) 127-125 against Toronto Raptors. Even in the match against the Canadian franchise, all the difficulties of a team that would seem to be the distant relative of the champions seen a couple of seasons ago were highlighted. Defensive difficulties like never before, as well as little offensive clarity, Nikola Jokic apart.
Who knows what the farewell of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this summer went too under the radar, a player who was too underrated and who guaranteed balance to the quintet. Jamal Murray he is, up to this point, one of the biggest disappointments of the Nuggets, and he certainly didn’t start as everyone expected: just 17.0 points on average which still puts him in second place as a team scorer behind Jokic (con 32.3).
Denver, what’s going on? An important response will be needed in the next matches for the men Michael Malone so as not to turn a promising season into a failure.
The match prediction
The challenge between Minnesota-Denver is one of the most intriguing challenges of the NBA weekend, with the clash that will see the two semi-finalists of the last Play-Offs in the Western Conference face each other.
In my opinion the Timberwolves arrive more ready and fit for this challengealthough the Nuggets cannot afford to lose again. The home factor it could prove to be the balance that will shift the challenge in the direction of Anthony Edwards and his companions. This is why my advice is to take the head-to-head victory or with some favorable point spread of Minnesota.
Among the men to keep an eye on for this match between Minnesota and Denver is Jamal Murraya big absentee of the Nuggets’ season so far. In the last precedent the Canadian was the protagonist with 35 points, which however, they were not enough to win the we are 7 from the semi-finals from the Western Conference.
