Through the first three games of the series, it had seemed that the Denver Nuggets had thoroughly outplayed the Minnesota Timberwolves, building an insurmountable 3-0 lead. The Nuggets had the best player in the series in Nikola Jokic and were cruising to a first-round sweep of their eight-seeded opponent.
But, aside from Game 1 in which the Nuggets decimated the T-Wolves 109-80, the other games in the series saw both teams go wire-to-wire, with some costly mistakes in the clutch ultimately dooming Minnesota in the subsequent two matchups that saw them fall to 0-3 series.
While they had dug a hole for themselves that is virtually impossible to climb out of, it’s not exactly accurate to say that they were thoroughly outclassed by the Western Conference’s top seed.
In Games 2 and 3, the T-Wolves proved that they could match the Nuggets blow for blow, and with some better execution, they could even steal a victory from Denver and the two-time MVP
That all came to a head in Game 3, as Minnesota was able to build a significant enough lead in the fourth quarter to stave off a roaring comeback from the Nuggets. Ultimately, a missed free throw from the Joker led to the game going into overtime where the Wolves were able to regain their composure and put the game away, 114-108.
Last Four Games | Date | Scores |
---|---|---|
vs | 4/23/2023 | W 114-108 |
vs | 4/21/2023 | L 111-120 |
vs | 4/19/2023 | L 113-122 |
vs | 4/16/2023 | L 80 – 109 |
Anthony Edwards has proved all season long that he’s one of the greatest young players in the game today, and he’s only reiterated that sentiment throughout his first-round clash against Denver.
Through three games, the former Georgia Bulldog is averaging over 32 points and nearly five assists per outing, shooting 48 percent from the floor and over 40 percent from deep, including a dagger triple to put the Nuggets away in Game 3.
With Edwards coming into his own and Rudy Gobert proving to be an effective roadblock against Jokic, the T-Wolves now have the chance to do something that’s never been done in the NBA history: win a series after going down 3-0.
Minnesota has at least proven that they’re able to rise to the same level as the Nuggets. With more consistent late-game execution and, hopefully, a resurgence for Karl-Anthony Towns, there’s no reason to believe that Minnesota can’t win the next three games too.
Far too often, the first round of the NBA playoffs has been deemed as boring and predictable. If Minnesota were able to pull off a reverse sweep, it would be a significant moment in league history.
Nuggets vs Wolves Game 4 today, can Denver sweep on Minnesota?
Or will Anthony Edwards drop 60?
If ya didn't see game 3, I got you fam
Top 3 Takeaways Game 3: pic.twitter.com/bNuqKvV1wI
— Logan McCuiston (@LoganMcCuiston2) April 23, 2023
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| Title: Can the Minnesota Timberwolves pull off the first reverse sweep in NBA history?
| Author: Andy Quach
| Date: April 21, 2023