Andrew Buller-Russ
After blowing the Minnesota Timberwolves out by 25 points in Game 1, the Denver Nuggets once again proved they were the better team in Game 2. Wednesday night’s battle was the second at Ball Arena in the series, with a loud Nuggets crowd showing up in droves to cheer the top seed in the Western Conference to victory.
NBA MVP candidate Nikola Jokic was his usual self, chipping in 27 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, coming just short of a playoff triple-double. But really, it was scoring guard Jamal Murray who’s lights-out shooting led the way.
Murray scored a team-high 40 points, needing just 22 shots to do so. He’d hit 13 of those attempts, shooting 6-of-10 from distance. The Nuggets’ point guard also chipped in five assists and two steals.
Yet, Aaron Gordon’s impact was also felt, as the athletic forward had a double-double with 16 points and ten rebounds. Add Michael Porter Jr.’s 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and it’s not hard to see how the Nuggets emerged victorious.
Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards was phenomenal for the Timberwolves, scoring a game-high 41 points, a new playoff team record. But even Edwards sinking six-of-ten threes wouldn’t matter, as the Wolves shot worse, grabbed fewer rebounds, and turned the ball over more than the Nuggets.
Ultimately, it led to Denver taking a commanding 2-0 series lead with the set headed to the Target Center for Game 3.
