The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a thrilling 106-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their 2024 Western Conference semifinals series.
Led by a dominant 43-point performance from Anthony Edwards and clutch late-game plays by Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid, the Timberwolves withstood the Nuggets‘ attempted second-half comeback to draw first blood and take a 1-0 series lead.
Bet on this exciting series with the best odds and bonuses here!
Red-Hot Anthony Edwards Powers Timberwolves Offense
Anthony Edwards was simply unstoppable in Game 1, pouring in 43 efficient points on 17-29 shooting from the field.
The second-year star dictated the pace of the game from the opening tip, aggressively attacking the basket while also knocking down perimeter jumpers. Edwards set the tone early, scoring 18 first-quarter points to help the Timberwolves race out to an 18-4 lead.
While the Nuggets were eventually able to erase that deficit in the second quarter, Edwards kept Minnesota in striking distance heading into halftime.
Then, with the game hanging in the balance down the stretch, Edwards came up huge once again. He drained two clutch mid-range jumpers in the final three minutes to keep the Nuggets at bay as the Timberwolves salted away the victory.
Edwards Had Help From An Unlikely Source
Edwards didn’t do it alone, however. Backup center Naz Reid was the Timberwolves‘ unlikely hero in Game 1, scoring 16 pivotal points off the bench.
10 of those came in the fourth quarter while All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns was relegated to the bench with foul trouble. Reid took advantage of the extra playing time, knocking down a couple of momentum-swinging three-pointers and providing a much-needed interior presence against Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
In all, Reid played nearly the entire fourth quarter, helping the Timberwolves outscore the Nuggets 29-22 over the final 12 minutes. His out-of-nowhere scoring barrage was the difference, proving that Minnesota has enviable depth behind their talented starting five.
Nuggets Storm Back But Fall Short
For most of the three quarters, it appeared that the Timberwolves were on track for an easy double-digit victory.
They led by as many as 14 points in the first half and took a 66-60 edge into the fourth quarter. But the Nuggets didn’t go down without a fight, slowly chipping away at the Minnesota lead.
A Jamal Murray four-point play with just over eight minutes remaining finally put the Nuggets back on top 84-83.
However, that would be their final lead of the contest. Reid and Edwards made sure of that, scoring Minnesota‘s next 11 points to rebuild a six-point cushion.
Though Nikola Jokic did his best to keep Denver within striking distance down the stretch, scoring 12 of his 32 points in the fourth, the Nuggets ultimately didn’t have enough firepower to complete the comeback.
Murray And Porter Fail To Match Edwards’ Production
While Jokic produced his typically stellar stat line, Denver‘s secondary stars in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. failed to match Edwards‘ spectacular showing.
Murray, still recovering from a lingering calf strain, managed just 11 points on an inefficient 4-13 shooting.
Porter was slightly better with 20 points, but didn’t assert himself enough against a Timberwolves defense focused on stopping Jokic.
For the Nuggets to take back homecourt advantage and even up the series in Game 2, they’ll need bigger offensive outputs from Murray and Porter. Likewise, they’ll have to shore up their defense against Edwards after he torched them all night long in the opener.
What To Watch For In Game 2
As the scene shifts back to Denver‘s Ball Arena for Monday’s Game 2 matchup, here are some key storylines to monitor:
- Can the Nuggets slow down Anthony Edwards? He overpowered a typically stout Denver defense in Game 1, so look for them to throw more double teams his way.
- Will Karl-Anthony Towns avoid foul trouble? His early exits disrupted Minnesota‘s rhythm, allowing the Nuggets to rally. Keeping him on the floor is paramount.
- Will Jamal Murray and Michael Porter bounce back? Getting more secondary scoring to complement Jokic is critical for Denver to even up the series.
- What kind of impact will the Nuggets‘ home court have? They owned the NBA’s second-best home record this season and will be looking to feed off that crowd energy.
Ultimately, Game 2 represents an opportunity for the Nuggets to avoid falling into a disastrous 0-2 hole against this scrappy Timberwolves squad.
If Minnesota can find a way to swipe another road victory, it will put all kinds of pressure on reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and Denver heading back to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4.
Sources:
denverpost.com/2024/05/04/anthony-edwards-43-points-game-1-timberwolves-nuggets/
dailyguardian.com.ph/minnesota-steals-western-conference-semifinals-game-1-from-denver/
