2024 NBA Playoffs: West Semifinals: #2 Denver Nuggets vs #3 Minnesota Timberwolves (Series tied 3-3)

[CD_41]

Great start to the series.
So many possibilities for adjustments on both sides.

Even though I'm rooting for the Nuggets, I can't help but to a lil happy for the Wolves.
Many people doubted that they were a real contender and despite how this series will shake out, I think we all can agree
that they have a great team.

[Baseline81]

Regarding Ant stare tech: the league needs to quickly review their stand on these techs. If you deny and take out the emotion from the game, you are only left with an empty shell of game that will appeal to no-one. If something the game needs much more emotion, taunting etc.

The fact that Edwards received one while Murray can spin and shoot his fingers at Towns after his 3-pointer shows how inconsistent these decisions are.

[Pattycakes]

Regarding Ant stare tech: the league needs to quickly review their stand on these techs. If you deny and take out the emotion from the game, you are only left with an empty shell of game that will appeal to no-one. If something the game needs much more emotion, taunting etc.

The fact that Edwards received one while Murray can spin and shoot his fingers at Towns after his 3-pointer shows how inconsistent these decisions are.

Pretty objective evidence that nba refereeing is a crock of ****

[Pattycakes]

I don't see how Denver can win a game in this series.

Just worry about Raps in 4. Denver will be ok

[mademan]

Honestly, I wouldnt be skurred just yet if I was a nugget, this was just a wakeup call to show that sleepwalking **** they did against the Lakers won't fly against the wolves. I suspect they'll smoke minny in game 2

Were they sleepwalking? They were up a decent portion of the game, they just got out-executed down the stretch.

[Quentin]

That tech on Ant seemed like desperation from the refs to keep the game close. Absolutely ridiculous. Ref should be fined imo.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Gordon has to hit shots against this team, when KAT is on Jokic and Gobert is providing help defense that corner three is going to be there. They did about as good a job of defending Jokic that you can ask for but what they did to Gordon and anyone trying to attack the paint was master class. They broke up the lob attempts and because Gordon wasn't much of a threat it forced Jokic to take a lot of threes.

Gordon has to be much more of a threat to take Gobert out of comfortably playing free safety.

[mademan]

Edwards will get all the glory, and while he was amazing and Towns and Naz had big moments, Gobert's defense continues to be the story, imo. Im not gonna go so far as to call him the Wolves MVP this postseason, but the conversation should be a lot closer than it is. Dude has been absolutely fantastic and a lot of people are gonna be eating crow soon (or should be now) saying he couldnt perform in the playoffs.

[shi-woo]

Now that I have slept on it, I'm still walking away feel the same as I did last night. Absolutely amazed.

I know there is going to be adjustments, but the ones Denver can make are very limited, mostly Malone not bringing in Holiday over Watson when Ant is flamethrowing, and maybe get some minutes for Jordan when they Minny goes dbl big. Other than that though and i'd have to listen to Nugget fans, because I can't think of anything. Gordon and MPJ on Ant? Idk.

Timberwolves didn't play a perfect game, Rudy was just a monster defensivel, and Ant offensively. Reid stepped up in the 2nd half, but McDaniels was trash on offense, and the amount of layups that team blew in the first half was actually impressive. Ant also didn't force anything last night, because he didn't have to.

MPJ kept them in it, so it will be interesting to see how both teams adjust to him essentially being the 2nd option with Jamal clearly only at 75%. Unlike Jamal, MPJ doesn't have the ability to break people down and handle it under pressure, so if he gets the type of attention that Murray and Joker did tonight, I don't expect him to go off.

Nuggets need to figure out the best way to get into their sets. They ran a lot of Jokic at point bringing the ball up at the end of the Lakers games, and think they need to mix more of that into this series. Use Joker as the point of attack in the same way Ant is the poa for minny. Nuggets can't afford to go against a set defense with Gobert sagging, and McDaniels/Ant pressing. There is no way Nuggets beat this team if that continues to be the norm. Having Jokic start the action up top early will atleast give shooters more time to run actions, and focus the attention of the D on the man up top and on the drop down/pick after he passes.

Something else that was very concerning if you're Denver, is you clearly, unarguably got the hometown whistle tonight, and still lost. Like the refs weren't even hiding it last night, and this is probably the only game where the fans coming in the thread complaining after is justiffied. The foul on KAT on the tip off, the hacks on Ant, the Tech. It just was a poorly refed game, and Minny didn't lose their composure. Nuggets can't rely on that, this team was FOCUSED last night, and Nuggets were not

[BlacJacMac]

Dever was down 14 halfway through the first.

They need to figure out their first quarters. They stormed back from 14 down and took control of the game, and then in the second half the defense backed off and Minnesota shot 70% from the field. The fact that they were down 14, and managed to get back in the game and get it down to the wire shows that they simply have a higher ceiling than Minnesota.

Anyone who has watched this team this season may recognize that they have had an extremely difficult time reaching that ceiling this year. All year. the opposite of FrontRunners

I also think they dominate game two. And depending on how that looks, I assume they take game 3 as well. They're the better team, But they're not playing with the same hunger they played with last year.

Frankly, that's the only adjustment they need to make to win this series. If they decide they want it as much as Minnesota collectively, there's nothing Minnesota can do. They're out classed and we saw spurts of that tonight.

If Denver doesn't go down 14 in the first quarter, this is a wire to wire win for Denver, with a lead that bounces between 8-12 all night, and that's with Murray no showing.

I think its premature to call it wrap. They haven't had a good game all playoffs.

So you think every run that the Nuggets went on was proof that they are the better team and every run the Wolves went on was proof that the Nuggets weren't trying..

It was a tie ball game with 6 minutes to go in the 4th quarter and from that point the Wolves outplayed the Nuggets down the stretch. I guess that doesn't count because the Nuggets decided they wanted to come back and tie the game since they are the better team but didn't actually want to win it because they couldn't be bothered to keep trying.

I agree the series is barely started but the idea that Denver is better because they went on a few runs in a game they lost is hilarious.

Whoosh.

No. If Denver didn't sleep walk those first minutes, that close game late is like an 8 point lead.

And this has nothing to do with the Wolves run to start the game. Denver has been down double digits EVERY first quarter of the playoffs this season.

All 6 games. This is a Denver issue.

And if Minnesota doesn't lose the ability to hit a wide-open shot (or even a layup) during Denver's comeback, the Wolves run away with the game wire-to-wire.

Its just not how basketball works. 1st quarters (for good or bad) rarely determine outcomes of games between good teams. Teams make runs, teams go through in-game slumps.

[mademan]

So you think every run that the Nuggets went on was proof that they are the better team and every run the Wolves went on was proof that the Nuggets weren't trying..

It was a tie ball game with 6 minutes to go in the 4th quarter and from that point the Wolves outplayed the Nuggets down the stretch. I guess that doesn't count because the Nuggets decided they wanted to come back and tie the game since they are the better team but didn't actually want to win it because they couldn't be bothered to keep trying.

I agree the series is barely started but the idea that Denver is better because they went on a few runs in a game they lost is hilarious.

Whoosh.

No. If Denver didn't sleep walk those first minutes, that close game late is like an 8 point lead.

And this has nothing to do with the Wolves run to start the game. Denver has been down double digits EVERY first quarter of the playoffs this season.

All 6 games. This is a Denver issue.

And if Minnesota doesn't lose the ability to hit a wide-open shot (or even a layup) during Denver's comeback, the Wolves run away with the game wire-to-wire.

Its just not how basketball works. 1st quarters (for good or bad) rarely determine outcomes of games between good teams. Teams make runs, teams go through in-game slumps.

His whole comment is incredible. It literally does boil down to "Denver runs are proof that Denver is better, Minnesota runs prove Denver doesnt care...Denver just needs to care more".

Like Black Star said, tie game with 6 min left. This is usually where Denver's bread is buttered being the team that executes better down the stretch and yesterday, Minnesota dominated those minutes.

[Jaqua92]

I just find it absurd that people are crowning the Wolves champions, and Ant as the next MJ after one game against a Nuggets team that is hobbled.

It's a bit silly.

[BelgradeNugget]

That tech on Ant seemed like desperation from the refs to keep the game close. Absolutely ridiculous. Ref should be fined imo.

Ant recived tech with 1:15 left in the 3Q and result was 73:68 at the time.
With 6:24 left in 4Q result was 84:84. With 3:13 left it was 94:91, so it looks like tech had a prolonged effect.
Lakers fans made 5 pages tread of overturned foul on DLo. C'mon Wolfes fans you're better than that.

BTW while I hate these type of tech fouls called, how do we know it was because of stare down? Because Reggie Miller sad so?
Ant did a little bit of talking in previous series against Durant and Suns, we know. Ref was there, maybe he said something.
It shouldn't be called anyway but maybe, just maybe, it was the diference between what he did and what Murray did.

[mademan]

I just find it absurd that people are crowning the Wolves champions, and Ant as the next MJ after one game against a Nuggets team that is hobbled.

It's a bit silly.

Dude youre the one acting like the Nuggets cant possibly lose if all they do is try. Minnesota has been just as good the entire year and was more impressive in the first round. They have a legitimate chance of winning the series and should genuinely be favoured right now being up 1-0.

[shrink]

Denver just doesn’t look the same as last year. Jokic is going to have to take over like he did last year for them to even have a chance.

Okay, but also Minnesota is a better team than any they played in last year's playoffs also.

You can see how missing Jaden (defending Murray) and no Naz Reid made them much worse, particularly against a team like DEN. Plus Ant has grown a lot, and Rudy is fully healthy.

This ain’t last year’s Wolves.

[thinktank]

That tech on Ant seemed like desperation from the refs to keep the game close. Absolutely ridiculous. Ref should be fined imo.

Ant recived tech with 1:15 left in the 3Q and result was 73:68 at the time.
With 6:24 left in 4Q result was 84:84. With 3:13 left it was 94:91, so it looks like tech had a prolonged effect.
Lakers fans made 5 pages tread of overturned foul on DLo. C'mon Wolfes fans you're better than that.

BTW while I hate these type of tech fouls called, how do we know it was because of stare down? Because Reggie Miller sad so?
Ant did a little bit of talking in previous series against Durant and Suns, we know. Ref was there, maybe he said something.
It shouldn't be called anyway but maybe, just maybe, it was the diference between what he did and what Murray did.

How do we know?

It’s all on camera. He didn’t say a word.

BS call. 100%.

[BelgradeNugget]

Now that I have slept on it, I'm still walking away feel the same as I did last night. Absolutely amazed.

I know there is going to be adjustments, but the ones Denver can make are very limited, mostly Malone not bringing in Holiday over Watson when Ant is flamethrowing, and maybe get some minutes for Jordan when they Minny goes dbl big. Other than that though and i'd have to listen to Nugget fans, because I can't think of anything. Gordon and MPJ on Ant? Idk.

Adjustments Nuggets usualy make in this situation is Jokic figuring it out. Finding a way to beat oposing team in 7 game series. It is all between ears. This team was down in 4 series they won in the past. Two times down 3-1. And then they figured it out. They lost in the playoffs only against clearly better teams. So if Twolfes win this series it will be because they were better and it was not even close.

[shrink]

Kudos to the DEN posters here, for being classy after a loss.

Very impressive for the General Board, and posters from a lot of fanbases should take a lesson.

[BelgradeNugget]

That tech on Ant seemed like desperation from the refs to keep the game close. Absolutely ridiculous. Ref should be fined imo.

Ant recived tech with 1:15 left in the 3Q and result was 73:68 at the time.
With 6:24 left in 4Q result was 84:84. With 3:13 left it was 94:91, so it looks like tech had a prolonged effect.
Lakers fans made 5 pages tread of overturned foul on DLo. C'mon Wolfes fans you're better than that.

BTW while I hate these type of tech fouls called, how do we know it was because of stare down? Because Reggie Miller sad so?
Ant did a little bit of talking in previous series against Durant and Suns, we know. Ref was there, maybe he said something.
It shouldn't be called anyway but maybe, just maybe, it was the diference between what he did and what Murray did.

How do we know?

It’s all on camera. He didn’t say a word.

BS call. 100%.

Do you have camera angle with his face when he was looking at KCP or just back? If you do please share.

[benhillboy]

Edwards will get all the glory, and while he was amazing and Towns and Naz had big moments, Gobert's defense continues to be the story, imo. Im not gonna go so far as to call him the Wolves MVP this postseason, but the conversation should be a lot closer than it is. Dude has been absolutely fantastic and a lot of people are gonna be eating crow soon (or should be now) saying he couldnt perform in the playoffs.

I never cared for Gobert: it was a combination of weird intangibles that led to lackluster team chemistry, his horrible FT shooting, poor fluidity, stones for hands, 0 playmaking ability, and lousy finishing.

Now he’s sporting a +28.8 on/off, the only Wolves player in the playoffs with a positive off court value, and it’s easy to see why (Jaden second at 18.6, Ant Man third at 12.9) He’s better than he’s ever been defensively which is crazy and this team chemistry simply fits him to a T, I give Conley a lot of credit for being that buffer. Most impressive is Gobert’s FT % jump from 64 in the regular season to a whopping 88 in the playoffs. Much like Lively, Jones Jr, Green, and Gafford have virtually forced Luka and Kyrie to become better defenders through osmosis, Conley, SLo Mo, Jaden, and largely Gobert have helped turned Ant into a defensive monster through communication and play. Not a stretch at all to say Gobert is the MVP so far. Having to argue over two guys for that honor is a wonderful problem for Wolves fans to have. The comradely and awesome team building with no duplication outside of Alexander Walker and McDaniels (whose combination basically gives you an elite 3 & D player) has been a joy to watch all season.

I can arguably tell you when the Wolves turned a corner. They gave up a huge lead in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks (!) early in the season. I believe they had a players only meeting after that game (that thankfully the media didn’t know about lol) and haven’t really looked back.