Coming off a 29-point loss in Game 1, the Minnesota Timberwolves were searching for a much-needed win before the team headed back to Target Center for Games 3 and 4. Following Sunday’s poor performance, fans ran to the hills with their disappointment, and the realistic thought of getting swept was creeping into their minds. However, veteran-minded Mike Conley had a different outlook.
“Emotions are high, intensity is high,” Conley said after Sunday’s loss. “I’ve been in games where we win by 30, lose by 30. It’s one game. The next game could be completely different. That’s why you want to try to continue – no matter what the score is – to play the right way, continue to have emotion, [and] continue to have the right intentions when you’re out there. Because it does carry over to the next game.”
Unfortunately, the lofty goal of tying the series at one game a piece didn’t come to fruition. The Timberwolves fell to the Denver Nuggets 122-133 Wednesday night.
Despite the loss, though, the Timberwolves somewhat flipped the script on the Nuggets and will be taking some momentum into what will be a must-win game Friday night at Target Center. Minnesota’s third-quarter collapse was their Achilles heel in Game 1. It was only an 11-point game heading into halftime. However, Denver came out of the break on a run. They outscored the Wolves 32-14 in the third and took a 29-point lead into the fourth.
That third-quarter run would lead the Nuggets to their 109-80 victory over Minnesota. But the Wolves used the third quarter to come back against Denver in Game 2. On Wednesday night, the Nuggets immediately dominated the Wolves in the open court. Minnesota had little to no response for Denver’s transition offense – something that’s bit the team all season.
However, the Timberwolves reversed the trend out of halftime, outscoring Denver 11-0 in transition. Minnesota hung 40 points on the Nuggets in the third, taking a two-point lead into the final frame.
At this same time, Anthony Edwards was taking the game over. It has and always will amaze me how good Edwards truly is. He scored 13 of Minneosta’s 40 third-quarter points, accumulating 27 total heading into the fourth. His dominance didn’t stop there. Edwards would finish with 41 points on 14-of-23 from the floor and 6-of-10 from deep.
“We talked about him needing to be way more aggressive,” Chris Finch said after the game. “And try to get downhill and get opportunities to put multiple guys on him to open up the floor for others or get to the rim. He was really, really good offensively tonight.”
Despite Edwards’ incredible performance, the team’s comeback push fell short because they couldn’t find any answers for Jamal Murray’s 40 points.
The differences in performances are opposites from Games 1 to 2. However, the Wolves will need much more out of Karl-Anthony Towns for the rest of the series if they hope to avoid a sweep. Towns finished with only 11 points on 5-of-15 from the floor in Game 1 and 10 points on 3-of-12 from the floor in Game 2.
There’s only so much you can ask from the 21-year-old. Other stars need to step up.
The Wolves will have a quick turnaround as they head back to Target Center for Games 3 and 4 over the weekend. I feel good about how Game 3 will play out on Friday night. Minnesota got some much-needed momentum and needs it to translate into the first win of the series.
