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The Denver Nuggets rolled into Target Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday hoping to tie the season series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Denver came in looking for payback after losing 110-89 in their previous encounter back in November. The in-form Nuggets could get the job done as Minnesota opened the game without Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in the lineup.
Nikola Jokic came out aggressive against Minnesota’s undersized frontline. The Timberwolves’ biggest defenders were Jaden McDaniels and Kyle Anderson, 6-foot-9 forwards who had to masquerade as centers. Jokic had 13 points and eight rebounds already in the first quarter. Aaron Gordon exploited the mismatch as well, adding eight points and eight boards.
Anthony Edwards gallantly led the home team with 11 points. His teammates have to step up if the Timberwolves want to prevent the Nuggets from steadily pulling away after building a 35-28 first-quarter advantage.
The Minnesota Timberwolves desperately tried to keep it close but the Denver Nuggets had too much firepower. Denver's 29-15 edge in rebounds translated to several extra possessions that hurt the hosts. Anthony Edwards continued to play well, finishing with 16 first-half points but the support from his teammates was not consistent.
Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon relentlessly feasted on the smaller Timberwolves frontline. Their work rate alone caused their opponents trouble. Jamal Murray quietly added 11 points and eight assists to Denver's 70-55 first-half dominance.
The Minnesota Timberwolves turned the tables on their visitors in the third quarter to start the rally. Seldom-used center Luka Garza provided quality minutes for his team's depleted frontcourt. Jaden McDaniels, who was asked to do more on offense, stepped up big time.
The Timberwolves' top-ranked defense showed up in the third quarter even without Rudy Gobert anchoring the middle. They limited Denver's red-hot offense to just 17 points in the third frame to close the gap. The third quarter ended with the defending champs holding to an 87-84 advantage.
The final quarter turned out to be a slugfest between the two Western Conference titans. Mike Conley dropped all of his 13 points in the same frame while Michael Porter Jr. responded with the same output for Denver.
Anthony Edwards came up big on both ends of the floor for the hosts. More than his numbers, he was the leader the Timberwolves badly needed while playing minus two superstars and backup big man Naz Reid. "Ant-Man" could have sent the game into overtime but missed a closely contested jumper.
The Denver Nuggets eventually emerged with a hard-fought 115-112 win over the scrappy Minnesota Timberwolves.
Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves game player stats and box scores
Denver Nuggets game player stats
Minnesota Timberwolves game player stats
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Anthony Edwards' 3-pointers tonight
The Denver Nuggets concentrated on pounding the paint against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. Nikola Jokic took only two 3-point attempts in the first half and made one of them. Jamal Murray drained the only triple he launched.
Anthony Edwards had a 1-for-2 clip during the same stretch from a similar range.
"The Joker" and his tag-team partner took more 3-pointers in the second half and ended the game 5-for-7 combined.
"Ant-Man" tallied 3-for-8 from deep on Tuesday night.
