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The Minnesota Timberwolves took firm control of their second-round series against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets with a surprise Game 1 victory on the road. Anthony Edwards powered the Timberwolves’ offense in historic fashion with another 40-bomb. Defensively, Minnesota stymied Denver in ways no other team in the Association can. Rudy Gobert disrupted two-time MVP Nikola Jokic by both defending him on-ball and roaming off-ball as a helper.
The Timberwolves got strong second-half performances from Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid as the two aided Edwards offensively and matched up with Jokic when Gobert wasn’t his primary defender. Ant, Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker limited Jamal Murray, who scored just 17 points in the series opener.
It’s no surprise that Tim Connelly, the Timberwolves’ president of basketball operations, has emphasized length, size and defense in a majority of his moves in Minnesota. As the former GM of the Nuggets, he knew what storm was brewing in Denver and the sheer talent of the Joker. While his trade for Gobert was met with heavy criticism, it’s clear Connelly had a plan.
After the Wolves’ impressive Game 1 win, media asked Gobert if he felt Minnesota was built specifically to counter Denver. Gobert’s answer didn’t necessarily answer that specific question, but it did point to Minnesota’s internal confidence. The Wolves feel it’s their moment and, so far, they’re not wrong.
Rudy Gobert shares confidence in Timberwolves
“I think it’s about us. Obviously, we truly believe that Denver is one of the top teams in this league. But we believe in our abilities. We believe in what we’ve been building and we believe in our goal, which is to win a championship. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for Denver, what they’ve accomplished in the last year and even this year, the season that they’ve had. But we think that we are pretty unique. It’s on us to bring the mindset every day, every night and just to give our best. Like I said, may the best win. But we’re really trying to embrace our moment.”
Since arriving from the Utah Jazz, the Timberwolves’ anchor has brought an attitude with one goal on mind. That goal is to bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Minnesota. All season long, the multi-time Defensive Player of the Year has held himself and his teammates accountable. At times, Gobert has been visibly upset when a defensive rotation is missed or a poor closeout leads to an uncontested dunk.
However, as a result of his high expectations for the unit, the others have responded. Not only did the Timberwolves rank as the top defense in the league all season long, their focus and defensive intensity have carried into the postseason. Minnesota is now 5-0 since the beginning of the NBA Playoffs after a sweep of the Phoenix Suns and an impressive road win to start Round 2.
In those five games, the Timberwolves have held their opponent to sub-100 points three times. With the opportunity to intensely game plan for each series, the Minnesota’s defense has gotten even better with Gobert leading the way. The Wolves star has held this level of confidence all season long. Even before the All-Star break, Gobert mentioned the improvements the team can make by the time they are in the NBA Finals.
From his comments following the series opener, it’s clear Minnesota internally feels like the team to beat this postseason. The job isn’t finished though. Denver will look to bounce back in Game 2, but Minnesota has stolen home court and has a chance to pull the rug out from under the Nuggets if they steal both games on the road to start the series.
More must-reads:
- Even Mike Budenholzer admits the Suns need a point guard
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- The 'Most triple-doubles in the postseason' quiz
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