Denver basketball players started the playoffs successfully. The Nuggets defeated Minnesota 116:105 (23:33, 39:29, 29:17, 25:26) in their “Ball” Arena and took a 1:0 lead.
One could say that this is it, that this is what we have been waiting for and asking for from the NBA league. We got a real spectacle, a fight, even beatings and a scrap between teams that want to fight for the NBA ring. True, it is not nice to see our Nikola Jokić taking beatings and ending up bloody, but – that is basketball.
There is no doubt that we watched a great match and that this is just a preview of everything that will happen between these two teams in a series played to four wins. Denver showed its flaws, but they also showed the virtues they possess, primarily thanks to Nikola Jokić who recorded a triple-double, for who knows which time this season.
The Nuggets had a very weak start to the game, extremely weak, losing by double digits, and Jokić was “out of it.” Simply, things weren’t going Nikola’s way. It was clear that the Nuggets would need exactly him for the win, which came true in the continuation of this match.
Jokić had to rest after the first quarter, where Denver managed to close the gap, and Nikola turned on the engines and slowly found his game, assists, and points with which he brought victory to his team. Granted, he had great help in the form of Jamal Murray who was the most efficient in this match.
It should be said that Denver also had a lot of luck, because the game could have gone into a real drama, as Minnesota managed to get back into the match. The Timberwolves managed to approach within only five points, they even had opportunities to reach a smaller deficit, but… In the end, there was just a lot of luck.
The best in the Denver team was Jamal Murray with 30 points, along with 16/16 from the free-throw line. Jokić finished the game with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, recording another triple-double! Aaron Gordon had 17 points, and Christian Braun and Cam Johnson 12 points each. For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards was the best with 22 points, Rudy Gobert added 17, Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle 16 each, Ayo Dosunmu had 14, while Donte DiVincenzo added 12.
At the very beginning, in the opening attacks, not many points were seen, until things started going a bit better for Minnesota and the Timberwolves hit two three-pointers through Donte DiVincenzo, which brought them to a 4:10 lead. The team from Colorado then managed to recover a bit, specifically after an unsportsmanlike foul was called during a three-point shot, after which Murray hit three free throws.
Nikola Jokić was searching for himself in that beginning, it didn’t go his way. During the first quarter, he even lost three balls all in direct duels with Rudy Gobert, while he even bled after being hit by Anthony Edwards. At that time, Minnesota reached their largest lead of 13:23.
Nikola Jokić then managed to start playing, throwing assist after assist, getting his teammates involved and reaching a very good role, even though he took very few shots. He found Braun open, who hit a three-pointer, then added to him once more, and then an alley-oop to Hardaway – 22:30. By the end of the quarter, a technical foul by coach Adelman was also seen, while Jokić lost the ball once more – 23:33.
Denver then managed to start playing in the second quarter, Nikola Jokić went out to rest, and Valančiūnas was great. Braun hit a three-pointer, and then Hardaway Junior, and Jamal Murray started to play – 31:38.
Murray caught his rhythm, he was a real enigma, and he often went to the penalty line, which is how he got points, and after five minutes in the third quarter, Denver managed to reduce the lead to 40:43. It entered a real stalemate, Hardaway made a foul, while Edwards grabbed his knee. Boom, a three-pointer by Cam Johnson, Denver was already at a two-point deficit there.
Spencer Jones, a well-known Denver player, then ended up on the penalty line, he had three free throws, he didn’t hit. Jokić hits a three-pointer, he was left alone, they let him go too easily. Jokić was then playing around, gaining confidence, finding his teammates. Murray took a difficult shot over Gobert, when it seemed that Denver would have the lead at halftime – Donte DiVincenzo hit a three-pointer, and then Gobert a layup for 62:62.
Denver started the third quarter excellently, when they also took the lead. Jokić opened the second half with points, and Minnesota’s attack stalled a bit. After Jokić, Murray also scored, and he was quite good. Jokić then scored even next to Gobert, for whom he found a “weak side” – 68:63.
Minnesota somehow managed to repel that first surge, they got back into the game after Donte DiVincenzo hit another three-pointer, and Jokić missed for three points, even though he was left completely alone. Donte tried once more, but didn’t hit. Jokić scored new points, as Gobert was too late to block him – 72:68.
Denver managed to make a 5:0 run after Aaron Gordon hit a three-pointer, and then Jamal Murray had two free throws and hit both. Then a scuffle broke out, at about four minutes to the end, McDaniels pushed Jokić, and received a technical foul – 83:70. By the end of the quarter, Murray was excellent, hitting a mid-range shot, and Jokić with his points brought it to 91:79 before the last 12 minutes.
All that led to a very interesting last quarter, where we saw everything. Minnesota somehow managed to approach within a four-point deficit with only six minutes to go, when it seemed we were heading into real drama – 99:95. However, then Jokić scored with a foul and brought his team to a great position.
Minnesota again approached 106:101 with some two minutes to go, Anthony Edwards had a three-point shot, but he didn’t hit and the Nuggets recorded the victory.
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Source: Telegraf.rs, Photo: Printscreen X @nuggets