It was a tale of two halves for the Denver Nuggets, but in the end they held on to win 122-113 and take a 2-0 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Following a first half where the Nuggets built a 21-point lead, that quickly evaporated in the second half as Denver allowed Minnesota to get back into the game. Minnesota erased that 21-point deficit and even took the lead in the second half as they outscored the Nuggets 40-23 in the third quarter.
The Nuggets defense went from bad to worse in the third quarter, which was a surprise with how great it was the first six quarters of the series. Denver quickly responded in the fourth quarter as Michael Porter Jr. made a 4-point play on the opening possession of the period, which really gave the Nuggets the jump-start they were looking for. Add in some massive shots from Jamal Murray down the stretch and the Nuggets found a way to win as they now lead the series 2-0 going into game three Friday night in Minnesota.
Murray was the star of the show as he scored 40 points and you could tell from the start it was going to be a special night for the Blue Arrow. Not only did Murray score 40 points, but he did so on an efficient 13-of-22 shooting from the field, 6-of-10 from three as it gave Nuggets fans flashbacks of what he accomplished in the bubble just a few seasons ago. Minnesota’s had no answer of how to slow Murray down in either of the first two games and if it’s a sign of what’s to come the Timberwolves are going to be in trouble.
Nikola Jokic also had a huge game for Denver scoring 27 points to go along with nine rebounds and nine assists as he just missed out on a triple-double. Michael Porter Jr. (16 — 13 in the fourth quarter), Aaron Gordon (12), and Jeff Green (11) also finished in double-figures and all played a big role in the win. No one played a bigger role than Murray and Jokic though as the Nuggets two stars carried Denver to victory.
It should also be mentioned how great of a game Anthony Edwards had scoring 41 points on 14-of-23 shooting from the field, 6-of-10 from three. Pretty similar stats to Murray as him and Edwards went at it all game long. The matchup between Murray and Edwards will be a fun one to watch as this series goes on. Game three is Friday night in Minnesota with tip-off set for 7:30 PM MST and will be televised nationally on ESPN.
