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Christian Braun (left) and Denver\u2019s defense hope to keep Anthony Edwards under wraps in Game 2.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s enough recent history between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves that each game, at this point, seems like the latest episode of a must-watch Emmy-nominated series.<\/p>\n
And with Game 2 set for Monday (10:30 p.m. ET, NBA\/Peacock<\/a>), just two days plus change since Denver\u2019s 116-105 victory<\/a> in the opener Saturday afternoon, the schedule is working nicely for those of us who like to binge-watch.<\/p>\n For the record, it\u2019s 15-14 now, Nuggets up one in a rivalry established and dialed hotter over 29 meetings in the past four seasons and postseasons. The \u201cup one\u201d most relevant now is whether Minnesota can fire back quickly to swipe the higher seed\u2019s homecourt edge or has to retreat to Target Center for a closer-to-sea-level shot at making this a series.<\/p>\n Here are three things to watch for when the Nuggets and the Wolves line up for tipoff of Game 2:<\/p>\n 1. Keep an eye on: Edwards vs. Braun<\/p>\n As the final seconds ticked off from Game 1, Minnesota\u2019s Anthony Edwards went from teammate to teammate on the Ball Arena floor to slap hands and pump up, sending a clear message of resilience to carry the Wolves toward Game 2.<\/p>\n The value of those atta-boys will be determined in large part by Edwards\u2019 next performance vs. the work of Denver wing Christian Braun in thwarting that.<\/p>\n The Wolves\u2019 scoring star put up good numbers \u2013 22 point, nine rebounds, seven assists \u2013 that frankly will need to get better if his team intends to win four of the next six games. He wasn\u2019t the vibrant, swaggering gunslinger that marketing execs crave in the opener. A cranky right knee that cost Edwards 11 of the final 14 regular season games still is chirping at him.<\/p>\n But so was Braun on Saturday, the point man in Denver\u2019s focus on this particular snake\u2019s head. The Nuggets showed help whenever Edwards had the ball on the perimeter, discouraging any full-bore assaults into the paint. He launched nine 3-pointers and made only two, his lift probably affected by the knee and some rust.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t downplay Braun, though, the buzz-cut Kansas kid who was a rookie on Denver\u2019s 2023 title team. He has been entrusted with shadowing Edwards the same way he drew the short straw last spring in guarding the Clippers\u2019 James Harden and OKC\u2019s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Coach David Adelman likes Braun\u2019s size (6-foot-6, 220 pounds), quickness and even creativity to go off script at times in reading his quarry\u2019s next move.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is accepting his role,\u201d Joki\u0107 said. \u201cJust being annoying the whole game, guarding full court.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Braun: \u201cI mean, I don\u2019t really have a choice \u2026 but it\u2019s what I want.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwards might get motivated if Braun continues to have success in the matchup. He might even get angry. But he\u2019d better not take it lightly.<\/p>\n 2. Minnesota\u2019s \u2018others\u2019 will swing the outcome<\/p>\n There were plenty of uncharacteristic things in the Wolves\u2019 performance Saturday. Credit Denver\u2019s counter-attacks first, then the crowd, then usual suspects such as a matinee tipoff, playoff-opener jitters and those infernal 5,280 feet.<\/p>\n That must change now. Either through a random Wolf doubling his impact in Game 2. Or from several ratcheting up their play a notch or two.<\/p>\n There are a handful of candidates who can do better. Julius Randle struggled with shots he normally sinks, had one horrible live-ball turnover and showed his frustration. Super-sub Naz Reid was simply sub, his shot and his aggressiveness lacking.<\/p>\n Jaden McDaniels, so often an X factor, shot 6-of-14, did more fouling than usual in trying to cope with Jamal Murray (16 free throws), was a team-worst minus-17 and let his emotions tilt his play. Meanwhile, coach Chris Finch has to be rethinking his rotation and 10-deep bench use after getting negative plus\/minus minutes from the second unit.<\/p>\n 3. A bigger gap between Gobert, Joki\u0107<\/p>\n Nikola Joki\u0107 puts up 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 1 vs. the Timberwolves.<\/p>\n If someone had said pregame that the statistical difference between Joki\u0107, Denver\u2019s Kia MVP finalist<\/a>, and his Wolves counterpart Rudy Gobert would be a mere eight points, three rebounds and nine assists, it might have elicited laughs. Joki\u0107 is Joki\u0107, after all, while Gobert is Minnesota\u2019s scapegoat as much as he is a contributor both offensively and defensively in the same game.<\/p>\n Gobert played well in the opener \u2014 he scored 17 points and ventured far from the basket, moving his feet to pester Joki\u0107 out there in stretch land. He even sank as many free throws as the Nuggets\u2019 star (one).<\/p>\n Look for Joki\u0107 to separate himself more from the competition Monday.<\/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>.<\/p>\n