The Minnesota Timberwolves are off to a good start in their quest to knock off the defending champion Denver Nuggets. The Wolves have taken the first two games of the series after a lopsided 106-80 win in Denver on Monday night. Without Rudy Gobert in the lineup, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points apiece as it was Minnesota’s defense that really led the way.
Minnesota will head home with a chance to sweep at the Target Center, as the two-game homestand starts Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The Nuggets lost only one home game in the entire 2023 postseason. The Timberwolves have already taken two off of them. The superstar duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined to score only 24 points in Game 2 and things have gotten very tense in the Denver locker room.
“They kicked our ass. So yeah, it got away from us,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after the game.
The Wolves remained undefeated in the playoffs and are now 6-0. The Nuggets, meanwhile, never trailed in a series during their run to the 2023 title a year ago. We’ll see how they respond in Game 3 on Friday.
Nuggets vs. Timberwolves schedule, scores
All times Eastern | * If necessary
- Game 1: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 99 — Minnesota leads series 1-0
- Game 2: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 80 — Minnesota leads series 2-0
- Game 3: Friday, May 10 — Nuggets at Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
- Game 4: Sunday, May 12 — Nuggets at Timberwolves, 8 p.m., TNT
- Game 5*: Tuesday, May 14 — Timberwolves at Nuggets, TBD, TNT
- Game 6*: Thursday, May 16 — Nuggets at Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
- Game 7*: Sunday, May 19 — Timberwolves at Nuggets, TBD
Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, Game 3
Where to watch
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET | Date: Friday, May 10
Location: Target Center — Minneapolis
TV channel: ESPN | Streaming: ESPN/fubo
Storylines
The Wolves held Denver to an ugly 29-of-83 shooting night in Game 2, and the most impressive thing about that was the absence of their best defender, 7-foot-1 center Rudy Gobert, who was back in Minneapolis for the birth of his son.
Gobert’s fingerprints were all over this masterpiece. “Rudy’s driven the defensive culture here. I think it’s a testament to his impact, his presence and what he’s infused into the team of how important defense is and how great it can be when we play it,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “That aside, we expect to win no matter who’s with us and who’s not.”
Jamal Murray, who threw a heat pack onto the court in frustration, has shot 9 for 32 in this series. He left Ball Arena without comment for the second straight game and is likely to be fined by the NBA for his actions.
Prediction
Opening series odds: Nuggets -185, Wolves +155
Series odds after Game 2: Wolves -189, Nuggets +157
Stay tuned for an expert pick for Game 3.
