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The Nuggets appeared to be cruising to a 2-0 series lead Monday night as they opened a 44-25 lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But the Timberwolves rallied to take the lead in the second quarter. And they rallied again in the fourth against a Nuggets team that looked outmatched and out of gas down the stretch to stun the Denver home crowd in a 119-114 win.
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The series is now tied at 1-1 and headed to Minnesota for Game 3. And now, it’s anybody’s game. Here’s how the Timberwolves got the job done — and how the Nuggets didn’t — in Game 2.
Rudy Gobert flustered Nikola Jokić early in Game 1 before the Nuggets pulled away behind Jamal Murray’s 30 points.
On Tuesday, Gobert made life hard on Jokić virtually whenever he was on the floor. In the end, he helped limit Jokić to two fourth-quarter points as the Timberwolves rallied to stun the Nuggets.
Early on, Jokić let the game come to him. He didn’t attempt a field goal as Denver opened up a 28-13 first-quarter lead in the game’s first nine minutes. Jokić settled into his role as a playmaker and thrived while racking up five assists before taking his first shot from the field.
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But after the Timberwolves punched back to take the lead in the second quarter, waiting was no longer an option. And outside of his 16-point third quarter, Jokić was largely a non-factor as a scorer, especially when matched up with Gobert.
Jokić scored just six points in the first half. And as Minnesota outscored Denver 29-21 in the fourth quarter, Jokić shot 1 of 7 in the final frame as Gobert repeatedly challenged him at the rim.
The two-man game with Jamal Murray that paced Denver’s Game 1 win was no longer effective as Minnesota took control. Jokić finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists. But he faltered down the stretched, turned the ball over three times and shot just 8 of 20 from the field and 1 of 7 from 3.
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Gobert’s box score (2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 0 blocks, 5 fouls) left a lot to be desired. But his impact on the game was evident to anyone who was watching Monday night.
Anthony Edwards is grinding —…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-playoffs-2026-takeaways-anthony-edwards-perseveres-rudy-gobert-makes-nikola-jokic-look-human-as-timberwolves-stun-nuggets-063309566.html
Author : Jason Owens
Publish date : 2026-04-21 06:33:00
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