The Timberwolves Steal Game 2 In Gritty Fashion!

Something that has not been talked about enough is Rudy Gobert’s defense on Nikola Jokic. He’s shown why he’s a four-time defensive player of the year in these first two games. He was especially impressive in Game Two.

If someone looks at Gobert’s stat line, they wouldn’t understand his impact. He only had two points and seven rebounds. He, however, is a major reason why Jokic shot 40% from the field.

The Joker is just 4/15 from the field when Gobert defends him. The most impressive aspect is that Gobert does most of his work with single coverage, as he receives no secondary help.

In the fourth quarter of Game Two, Jokic had two points, three rebounds, and one assist, going 1/7 from the field. He also passed up a semi-open floater to tie the game with 20 seconds left in the game. It seems like Jokic is second-guessing his decisions, and the Timberwolves defense, particularly Gobert, deserves a lot of credit.

Home Court Disadvantage

Home court means nothing when Minnesota and Denver battle. Dating back to Game One of their Western Conference semis matchup in 2024, the Timberwolves have won seven out of their last 10 games in Ball Arena. They are very comfortable playing in the thin air of the Mile High.

This game was very reminiscent of Game Seven of that 2024 series. In that game, Denver blew a 20-point lead with the Nuggets’ starters running out of gas and being outscored 32-23 in the final quarter. Fast forward to Game Two, where Denver blew a 19-point lead, and the Timberwolves won the fourth quarter 29-21.

Conversely, this works in favor of the Nuggets as well. They have won four of seven games in Minnesota since the series two years ago. The success rate is not as high as the Wolves’, but Jokic and company certainly don’t fear playing in the Twin Cities.

Anthony Edwards Looked Spry

Timberwolves fans were worried about Anthony Edwards’s health. He missed some time toward the end of the season due to Runner’s Knee. In Game One, it looked like it was going to be an issue as he had 22 points on 36.8% shooting from the field.

In Game Two, Edwards began the game with an unfortunate play. On a play early in the first quarter, he and Jokic banged knees, and he appeared to be limping a little bit. After that initial scare, he was back to being the terror he normally was.

The lift and speed came back late in the first quarter, and Edwards finished the opening 24 minutes with 20 points. He finished Game Two with 30 points and 10 rebounds. If he continues to look like this for the rest of the series, the Nuggets may have another seven-game series on hand.

End Of My Minnesota Timberwolves Rant

An interesting stat floating around is how poorly Denver plays in Game Twos. From the 2023 NBA Finals onwards, the Nuggets are just 1-5 in six Game Twos. Is it a lack of focus and complacency, or does it take them more time to adjust to the opponent’s adjustments?

A positive stat in Denver’s direction is that they are 4-1 in Game Threes in that same span. The team usually is at its best when facing adversity.

This, overall, was a massive win for the Timberwolves. They are 0-8 all-time in series when they trail 0-2. Denver, inversely, is 8-0 when leading 2-0.

This is by far the best round one matchup in the 2026 playoffs.