Anthony Edwards posts 30 points and 10 rebounds as the Timberwolves win a thriller over the Nuggets to even up the series.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Download the NBA App<\/a><\/p>\n A reality for the Denver Nuggets for most of Nikola Joki\u0107\u2019s tenure has been the challenging underbelly of the three-time Most Valuable Player\u2019s magnificence. Namely, the stretches of games when he sits down, a.k.a., \u201cnon-Joki\u0107\u201d minutes.<\/p>\n The Minnesota Timberwolves have their own on\/off issues at times with their center, Rudy Gobert. Their \u201cnon-Gobert\u201d minutes can mean one thing to the Wolves\u2019 offense but something altogether different to their defense.<\/p>\n For the two teams\u2019 fans and lovers of intense, entertaining NBA playoff basketball, though, a more pressing concern now is the \u201cnon-Wolves and Nuggets minutes\u201d they\u2019ll have to endure between the final horn of Game 2 and tipoff of Game 3.<\/p>\n This crazy-close first-round series shifts to Target Center in Minneapolis Thursday (9:30 ET, Prime Video<\/a>). That means approximately 4,110 minutes to fill, some of which can be covered by finding a replay to watch of Minnesota\u2019s 119-114 Monday at Ball Arena.<\/p>\n Oh, and burning a few more here by reading about four takeaways from the Wolves\u2019 recovery Monday to even the series at 1-1:<\/p>\n 1. Your quarter, our quarter<\/p>\n Things looked bleak for the Wolves when Denver scored 17 unanswered points early, stacked no fewer than three 3-pointer-plus-the-foul plays to bump its lead to 14, then used assorted saves, charges and hustle plays to lead at the end of the first quarter, 39-25.<\/p>\n Things looked bleak for the Nuggets, though, when Minnesota finally stopped settling for perimeter shots, put stress on defense by attacking the paint, unveiled a little \u201csmall ball\u201d when foul trouble sent Gobert to the bench, and outscored the home team in the second quarter, 39-25.<\/p>\n Mirror image scores across two action-packed periods, dialed to full chaos when Denver\u2019s Jamal Murray beat the halftime buzzer<\/a> with a heave from the far side of the logo \u2013 51 feet \u2013 to tie it, 64-64. The Wolves\u2019 initial doldrums got buoyed in those second 12 minutes, Denver let go of the proverbial rope a bit, and then Murray\u2019s circus shot hit the reset button for the subsequent 24 minutes.<\/p>\n Joki\u0107 focused on finding teammates early, scoring just six of his eventual 24 points in the half. Minnesota\u2019s Anthony Edwards went the other way, amassing 20 of his 30 before halftime once he felt secure that his achy right knee wouldn\u2019t betray him. And teammate Julius Randle, eager to do better than in the opener Saturday, followed Edwards\u2019 lead with 18 of his 24 by the break.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I can\u2019t let him down,\u201d the veteran power forward said of Edwards. \u201cIf he\u2019s out there battling, there\u2019s no excuse where I can\u2019t give my best and make the extra-effort plays. It energizes me and makes me want to be on my best game.\u201d<\/p>\n Coaches being who they are, neither Chris Finch nor David Adelman was pleased with two quarters that wound up precisely half-full and half-empty.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a great first quarter, they had a great second quarter, the game basically restarted from there,\u201d Adelman said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Anthony Edwards and Jamal Murray combined for 60 points in the Game 2 duel.<\/p>\n 2. Second chances saved the Wolves<\/p>\n Eight of the game\u2019s 15 lead changes came after halftime, as did three of the night\u2019s seven ties. There were lots of similar stats, from shooting numbers and free throws earned to turnovers and scoring margins (neither team led or trailed by more than six the rest of the way).<\/p>\n But one big disparity came from Minnesota\u2019s ability to keep possessions alive, grabbing offensive rebounds and making the Nuggets pay for their eagerness to hurry upcourt. In their five-point victory, the Wolves built a 20-3 advantage in second-chance points.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a hard-fought game like that when you work so hard to get a stop,\u201d Adelman said, \u201cand then just give up second-chance points \u2026 it kept them in the game. Every time we made a run, it felt like that\u2019s what stopped the run. That\u2019s something we have to clean up as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. A little respect for Rudy<\/p>\n Gobert\u2019s early fouls gave Minnesota a chance to run offense without him on the floor and, frankly, it freed up the Wolves in the second quarter. The paint was more open without their big man lurking, and with Joki\u0107 on the side, there wasn\u2019t much to discourage Edwards, Randle, or the rest from working their way closer to the rim.<\/p>\n Down the stretch, however, Gobert was back. And playing an active, conscientious level of defense much as he had in Game 1. He and his four Defensive Player of the Year awards called Joki\u0107\u2019s three MVP trophies, and won the hand.<\/p>\n He contested a three by Joki\u0107 that was an air ball. He defended the Denver center on drives and various short shots from the lane. He banged back when Joki\u0107 posted up. The Wolves\u2019 often-criticized big man did come up short when Joki\u0107 drove and dunked to get Denver within 115-113 with 49 seconds left. But Gobert already had stood strong.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to give a shoutout to Big Ru, man,\u201d said Randle. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to show up in the box score but what he did, especially in that fourth quarter \u2026 Ant challenged him, he said \u2018I need you to stop fouling.\u2019 He came in and how he guarded Joki\u0107, it was super-inspiring to the team. It lifted the team. Him getting stop after stop at the end of the game was huge to us.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Edwards: \u201cI told him \u2018Brother, we\u2019re half the team when you\u2019re on the bench. Everybody gonna say this about Rudy, he\u2019s this, he\u2019s that. They don\u2019t understand want he means to us when he\u2019s on the floor. People don\u2019t want to lay the ball up, people just don\u2019t want to go at Rudy.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. Two late Nuggets second-guesses<\/p>\n It was 115-113 when Joki\u0107 got the ball near the foul line and, as he is known to do, worked his way closer. Rather than unleashing one of his finesse hooks, floaters or jumpers from 12 feet to tie, he saw teammate Christian Braun closer still. His pass brushed against a Minnesota defender, slowing enough for more Wolves help to come and hammer Braun.<\/p>\n Braun, who isn\u2019t a three-time MVP, missed on the first of his two free throws. Denver trailed by one with just 19.1 seconds left.<\/p>\n \u201cI should have definitely took that floater,\u201d Joki\u0107 said.<\/p>\n Randle hit two foul shots moments later for a 117-114 lead. When Murray pushed the ball up, he got within 21 feet of the basket before launching a jumper. Had he made it, Denver still would have been down by one point, with 11 seconds left. He missed.<\/p>\n The Nuggets might have played the foul game from there. But a three by Murray could have set up overtime. Either way, \u201cI needed to make the shot for it to go well,\u201d Murray said. \u201cI didn\u2019t make it.\u201d<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him\u00a0here<\/a>, find\u00a0his archive here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0follow him on X<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n