The Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-90 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals to capture their first win of the series and cut Minnesota's series lead to 2-1.
Denver's big three, Nikola Jokic (24), Jamal Murray (24), and Michael Porter Jr. (21), all scored 20+ points for the Nuggets, combining for 69 of Denver’s 117 points. Jokic grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out nine assists, one away from a triple-double, and recorded a game-high three blocks.
The Nuggets expanded on their lead for the first three quarters, ending the first quarter +8, ending the second quarter +7, and ending the third quarter +12 to capture a 27-point lead that they held for the entire fourth quarter. This was mainly due to all five starters being able to score; all five recorded 10+ points.
The Timberwolves struggled offensively, which was the main reason for their 27-point loss, with no player scoring above 20. Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 19 points, grabbed six boards, and captured five assists. However, Edwards also led the team in turnovers with five. Rudy Gobert was ineffective against the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, only scoring six points and allowing Jokic to record 24. Gobert, the 2024 defensive player of the year, only grabbed four rebounds and could not block any shots in their Game 3 loss.
Minnesota hosts Game 4 on Sunday, May 12, at 8:00 p.m. EST. The Timberwolves hope to win in front of their home crowd and extend their series lead to 3-1, while the Nuggets hope to mirror Minnesota and win two games on the road to even the series at 2-2 before returning to Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday, May 14.
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