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Timberwolves take 2-0 lead on Nuggets, 'smell blood in water'

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates after scoring and drawing a foul against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter of Game 2 of a Western Conference semifinals series Monday at Ball Arena in Denver. Photo by Dustin Bradford/EPA-EFE
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates after scoring and drawing a foul against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter of Game 2 of a Western Conference semifinals series Monday at Ball Arena in Denver. Photo by Dustin Bradford/EPA-EFE

May 7 (UPI) -- Coach Chris Finch said that the Minnesota Timberwolves defense could "smell blood in the water" during their Game 2 win over the Denver Nuggets, which helped them go up 2-0 in their Western Conference semifinals series.

The Timberwolves, who played without three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, held the defending champions to a season-low point total and the second-worst shooting performance (34.9%) in the 106-80 victory Monday in Denver.

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"We keep harping on them." Finch told reporters. "It's been our identity all year, a little bit like we smell blood in the water at times and things kind of accelerate. They tried to counter with extreme physicality on their drives. We were able to take that contact and stand them up. We fouled them a little too much in the second half, other than that, I thought we fought them and fought them.

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"That's what our guys do."

The tenacious Timberwolves defense held Nuggets guard Jamal Murray to just eight points. Murray made just 3 of 18 shots and went 0 for 4 from 3-point range. Reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic made 5 of 14 shots and logged 16 points.

All-Star duo Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece for the Timberwolves. Edwards was 11 of 17 (64.7%) from the floor, while Towns made 10 of his 15 (66.7%) attempts. The Timberwolves shot 50% from the floor and made 39.4% of their 3-point attempts. They also totaled 28 assists, compared to just 16 for their foes.

Murray, who is playing through a calf injury, made 1 of 10 attempts for two points in the first half. The Timberwolves held a 52-34 edge in points in the paint and advantages of 18-10 in fast break points and 37-23 in bench points. They led by as many as 32 points.

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Forward Aaron Gordon made the first shot of the game for a 2-0 lead, but the Nuggets never led again. The Timberwolves outscored their foes 28-20 over the first 12 minutes.

They outscored the Nuggets 24-5 during a 7:46 span, which stretched from the end of the first quarter through the start of the second, and led 61-35 at halftime.

The Nuggets outscored the Timberwolves 25-21 in the third quarter, but still trailed by 22 to start the fourth. The Timberwolves outpaced their foes 24-20 over the final 12 minutes.

Forward/center Naz Reid and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14 points apiece off the Timberwolves bench. Towns chipped in a dozen rebounds in addition to his 27 points.

Gordon totaled 20 points in the loss. Jokic logged 16 rebounds and eight assists, in addition to his 16 points. Murray totaled 13 rebounds.

"It worked in our favor [Monday], man," Edwards said. "That's all that was. We made shots. They didn't. That's the defending champs over there. So, they're not going to come out and play like that again in Game 3."

Gobert, who missed the game because of the birth of his son, is expected to return for Game 3. That matchup will tip off at 9:30 p.m. EDT Friday in Minneapolis.

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"Hopefully we will go there and put up a fight and bring the series back [to Denver]," Jokic said.

The winner of the best-of-seven game series will meet the Dallas Mavericks or Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals. Game 1 of that series will be at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

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