Monday’s day in the playoffs NBA He delivered a couple of unavoidable certainties: Minnesota Timberwolves have serious aspirations to overthrow the current champion Denver Nuggets and Jalen Brunson is the most decisive player of this postseason. Con Anthony Edwards y Karl-Anthony Towns With top scorers and a solid defense, the Wolves achieved their second road win in the series. For its part, the base of New York Knicks scored 43 points in the series-opening victory against Indiana Pacers.
The reigning NBA champion, Denver Nuggets are just two steps from the abyss, after the Minnesota Timberwolves, with an absolutely memorable defensive performance, destroyed them 106-80 and won his second game in a row in Denver (0-2).
These amazing and relentless Wolves, who won their six playoff games (they swept the Phoenix Suns 4-0 in the first round), now take a huge advantage to Minnesota against a Nuggets that is overwhelmed and has no response so far against the leaders. by Anthony Edwards.
The best defense in the NBA this season taught a master class in Denver – especially in a first half to remember – of how to suffocate and nullify a well-oiled offensive machine like Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets, who recorded their lowest score of the campaign.
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This demonstration against the champions had even more merit if you take into account that their defensive pillar was missing: a Rudy Gobert who this week could win his fourth Defender of the Year award in the NBA and who missed the second game of this Western semifinal because his first child was born.
The Wolves did not miss it, as they built an infinite wall in front of their basket against which the Nuggets did not stop crashing again and again.
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Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kyle Anderson and company made the locals’ outside play desperate, especially a physically affected and visibly frustrated Jamal Murray.
Jokic did not have it easier inside, who in this series must fight with the rocky towers of the Wolves: the absent Gobert, the Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid.
In the first half, which ended with a surprising 61-35, Minnesota forced 11 turnovers from its rival, placed 8 blocks and left Denver at 32.6% in field goals (14 of 43) and 28, 6% in triples (4 of 14).
Those led by Chris Finch led by 28 points before the break, they shined in their aim (54.5%) and exploited both the points on the counterattack (18 against 3) and the scoring in the paint (32 against 20).
They were also lethal in subduing Denver’s stars, as Murray was 1 of 10 in shooting and Jokic accumulated 4 turnovers.
Another example of the overwhelming visitor superiority was that between Edwards (16) and Towns (20) they added more points at halftime than the entire Denver team.
Nothing radically changed after the restart, as Minnesota led by 32 points in the third quarter. It is true that Denver managed to get within 19 points at the beginning of the last period but at no time was the Wolves’ victory in danger.
Edwards, after his 43-point display in the first game, had 27 points (fantastic 11-of-17 shooting) and 7 assists. Towns also dazzled with 27 points (10 of 15) and 12 rebounds.
For the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon was the leading scorer with 20 points (8 of 14).
Jokic almost hit the triple-double (16 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists) but did not have his day in shooting (5 of 13). Even worse was Murray’s night with 8 points and 13 rebounds but a dismal 3 of 18. Between the two Nuggets stars they committed 8 of their team’s 16 turnovers.
The third game of this series will be played this Friday in Minneapolis, which will also host the fourth game on Sunday.
Only five teams in NBA history have come back from a playoff after losing the first two games of the series at home.
Jalen Brunson recorded another magnificent performance with 43 points and was once again the hero of the New York Knicks who suffered a lot to beat Indiana Pacers 121-117 and go ahead 1-0 in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal.
Brunson, who already dazzled in the series against the Phildelphia 76ers, resolved a very tight end with 21 points in the last quarter and several referee controversies, especially with a foul on a block when Indiana attacked to take the lead with only 12 seconds.
The point guard also added 6 rebounds and 6 assists, went a perfect 14 of 14 in free throws and became the first player with four straight games with more than 40 points in the playoffs since Michael Jordan.
Donte DiVincenzo (25 points) and Josh Hart (24 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists) stood out in Tom Thibodeau’s usual and extreme demand for minutes for his figures (Hart did not rest for a second throughout the game).
Instead, Indiana, with a deep and very effective rotation, came close to exhausting the Knicks. Myles Turner (23 points) led the Pacers with 46 points from their substitutes (only 3 from New York). Tyrese Haliburton only had 6 points and 8 assists.
In this duel between two Eastern classics with memorable antecedents (such as Reggie Miller’s 8 points in 9 seconds in 1995), two radically opposite styles are measured: the rage and sacrifice of the tough Knicks and the frenetic and ultra-offensive rhythm of the Pacers explosives.
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