Nikola Joki\u0107 and Jamal Murray combine for 55-18-18 to propel the Nuggets past the Wolves in Game 1<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Download the NBA App<\/a><\/p>\n Familiarity breeds contempt, they say, and that may be a good thing for NBA fans who have watched the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves butt heads again and again \u2013 and again \u2013 in recent years. \u00a0<\/p>\n Facing each other this spring for the third time in the past four postseasons \u2013 added to their four clashes each regular season \u2013 means the Nuggets and the Wolves had gone head-to-head 28 times since the start of 2022-23 heading into Game 1 Saturday at Ball Arena. The count was 14-14 \u2013 until Denver won 116-105<\/a> to go up 1-0 in this latest first-round series<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Familiarity of the\u00a0sort\u00a0these two Midwest Division rivals have gained can breed lot of things, including respect, grudges and\u00a0the basketball\u00a0know-how to force each other out of their first and even second options. All of which\u00a0bodes\u00a0well for the competitiveness of the games to follow.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Here are four takeaways from the series opener:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Denver\u2019s 2-man game<\/p>\n Nikola Joki\u0107 and Jamal Murray are the twin turbos of the Nuggets. Letting them work and following in their wake is how this team plays, how it wins, how it captured the 2023 NBA championship<\/a>. It\u2019s how they draw teammates into the mix, and it\u2019s how they managed the game Saturday down the stretch after Minnesota had gotten within five points with three minutes left, 106-101. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re so patient,\u201d coach David Adelman said. \u201cWe can control the game at the end because of those two players.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Nikola Joki\u0107 does it all in Game 1, finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists<\/p>\n The Denver vets helped orchestrate a 10-2\u00a0run\u00a0the 33-second mark that\u00a0drained\u00a0the life\u00a0out of any Wolves comeback.\u00a0And their combined production \u2013 55 points, 18 rebounds, 18 assists \u2013 was same old, same old. In this season\u2019s series,\u00a0Joki\u0107\u00a0and Murray averaged 67.3 points, 19.8 rebounds and 18.6 assists.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Any defensive schemes that don\u2019t cut those numbers in half for two or three games will end up being the final ones the Wolves need.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2. Oh, those middle quarters<\/p>\n One thing better than a devastating two-man game is a lethal two-quarter performance. The Nuggets fueled easy Minnesota points in the first 12 minutes courtesy of turnovers. The fourth quarter wound up essentially even. But\u00a0the second and third were when the game cracked open.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Denver outscored their guests 68-46 in the 24 minutes straddling halftime. The Nuggets shot 55% (23-for-42), while holding the Wolves to 39.5%. Murray scored 24 of his game-high 30 points in those periods, while Joki\u0107 had 15 on his way to his 22nd\u00a0playoff triple-double (25, 13, 11).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The hammer\u00a0came in a 17-2 burst from 68-68 early in the third that had the Nuggets in command, 85-70. Minnesota countered into the fourth with a 21-8 stretch but never got closer than five.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. Wolves need to play smarter, not harder<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t Minnesota\u2019s effort that led to its undesirable result, nor was it any relapse or limitation due to recent injuries to Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. \u00a0<\/p>\n No, the Wolves\u2019 theme afterward was that they didn\u2019t bring a thinking man\u2019s approach to this contest. Never mind any\u00a0particular game\u00a0plan for coping with the Nuggets \u2013 this was more a problem of staying focused, showing discipline and processing what was happening on the floor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Wolves didn\u2019t move the ball enough when they got into the halfcourt. They stood too much on the perimeter. There wasn\u2019t much offensive flow. And when things got hot, they got frustrated. McDaniels especially had a low flustered threshold Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Beat a title contender that way? Heck, it\u2019d be hard to beat the Wizards or the Nets.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt just wasn\u2019t very smart,\u201d said Minnesota coach Chris Finch. \u201cWe have to be more composed. \u2026 There were opportunities for everybody to move the ball more.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n Rudy Gobert, who considers himself one of the best defensive big men in the game, worked hard against\u00a0Joki\u0107, widely regarded as one of the best\u00a0offensive centers<\/a> in NBA history.\u00a0He echoed his coach, though, after his 17-point, 10-rebound performance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cToo many frustrations that carried over in the next possessions,\u201d Gobert said. \u201cIf you want to beat this team, you can\u2019t have that.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Fine line for Murray<\/p>\n The Denver point guard shot 16 free throws and made all 16. Finch called that a \u201chead scratcher,\u201d pointing out that his whole team shot 19 free throws, making 14, to the Nuggets\u2019 30-for-33. Half of Murray\u2019s freebies came in the second quarter, with the visitors\u2019 irritation increasing with each whistle. \u00a0<\/p>\n Want some context? OKC\u2019s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a polarizing star because rival teams\u2019 fans accuse him of hunting for foul calls. He led the Thunder\u00a0to the championship last year and never shot more than 15 free throws in a game, despite his reputation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Jamal Murray finishes with a game-high 30 points including 16-for-16 from the free-throw line<\/p>\n Defensive of Murray, Adelman said: \u201cHe drew a lot of fouls in [the second] because he got fouled \u2013 a lot \u2026 They had a hold of his jersey throughout the night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Murray, who averaged 5.2 free throws this season, seemed amused by Minnesota\u2019s grumbles. He reminded reporters he shot four technical foul shots on his team\u2019s behalf, dropping the total he earned off whistles to 12.\u00a0<\/p>\n Of those Murray\u00a0said:\u201cI\u00a0thought I got fouled on every single one of \u2018em.\u00a0So\u00a0I don\u2019t know what everybody\u2019s talking about. Real fouls.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/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