The third-seeded Timberwolves, who won the first two games in Denver, are now firmly in charge of this Western Conference semifinal series after their 106-80 thumping on Monday. They will host the next two games. In Minneapolis on Friday, Game 3 will take place.
By stopping Nikola Jokić and the second-seeded Nuggets’ explosive offense, Minnesota advanced to 6-0 in postseason. in was accomplished despite the absence of three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who was attending his child’s birth.
With a dominating 61-35 lead at the half, the Timberwolves kept Denver to 32.6 percent shooting, and the Nuggets finished the game with 16 turnovers and 34.9 percent shooting.
With 20 points, Aaron Gordon led Denver, which came into the series 14-1 in its previous 15 play-off games going back to 2022. Murray pulled down 13 rebounds while Jokic grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out eight assists.
Towns chipped in with 12 rebounds for Minnesota, which closed with the biggest margin of victory in a road play-off game in team history. Minnesota led by as many as 32 points in the third quarter.In the first game of an Eastern Conference semifinal series, the New York Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 121-117 thanks to a strong fourth-quarter comeback spearheaded by Jalen Brunson, who continued his run of 40-point games.
For the fourth straight postseason game with 40 or more points, Brunson scored 21 points in the fourth quarter and 43 points in total. The All-Star guard is only the fourth NBA player to accomplish the accomplishment, and the first since 1993, when Hall of Famer Michael Jordan did so.