The Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-107 on Sunday, thanks to hot shooting and an incredible surge at the end of the second quarter. After losing the first two games at home, Denver has knotted the series at 2-2 and reclaimed the home-court advantage it gave up in the Western Conference semifinals. On Sunday, the Nuggets gained control with a 12-0 run late in the first quarter, which left Denver ahead 29-24. A 12-2 run to begin the second quarter pushed the advantage to 41-26 before Anthony Edwards brought the Timberwolves back within 56-49. Then, the Nuggets stunned Target Center.
Eight points in twenty seconds:
With 20 seconds left in the half, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope matched Edwards’ three-pointer with his own. Aaron Gordon then stripped Edwards, setting up a Michael Porter Jr. fast-break dunk with 1.6 seconds remaining in the half, seemingly ending a 5-0 Nuggets run to end the quarter. But Denver wasn’t finished.
Jamal Murray intercepted an erroneous Nickeil Alexander-Walker inbounds pass down the right sideline and blasted the ball from 55 feet as the clock ticked. It sank through the net as the buzzer sounded, capping an 8-0 run in the final 20 seconds of the half, increasing Denver’s advantage to 64–49. Denver’s 16-point lead was reduced to seven in the blink of an eye before being re-established at 15. Edwards continued to lead the Timberwolves’ fight after halftime. But Minnesota did not recover.
Minnesota trimmed the deficit to 113-107 in the last minute. However, the Nuggets held a double-digit lead for most of the second half, sending the series back to Denver for a crucial Game 5 at home. They restored their confidence after being outmatched and outplayed by the Timberwolves in the series’ first two games.
Edwards’ 44 points were insufficient, but he continued to lead Minnesota’s offense in the playoffs. He scored nine of Minnesota’s first 15 points, helping the Timberwolves build a 15-9 lead. He maintained the pressure throughout the game, hitting 16 of 25 from the field and 5 of 8 from three for 44 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He simply did not have enough support from his teammates, and Minnesota’s defense suffered for the second consecutive game.
Karl-Anthony Towns was 1-of-10 in the first half, his career low. He completed the game with 13 points and 12 rebounds, going 5 of 18 from the field and 1 of 4 from long range.
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