2024 NBA Playoffs: West Semifinals: #2 Denver Nuggets vs #3 Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN WINS 4-3)

[CIN-C-STAR]

Gun to my head I guess I'll pick Denver.
Had Denver in 7 coming into the series, and they have an elite homecourt advantage even if it hasn't shown this series, and they have the best player, so I should feel good about it...
But Minny is just stacked this year so I wouldn't be shocked either if they land a haymaker in the first half.

[MrGoat]

If I'm Micah Nori I'm putting the Draymond Green Inside the NBA segment on loop around this team so they don't start feeling too high on themselves again after a big win. They need to play like they still feel embarrassed. Game 7 is win or go home

The key for Denver is how the non Jokic guys do. Jokic won't kill Minnesota by himself, someone else needs to get going. If you have Aaron Gordon going for 27 points on 12 shots like in game 4, or even KCP going for 16 on 8 shots like in game 5 they're in great shape. If the rest of the starters combine to shoot 13/40 again they're in trouble

[Jaqua92]

I can't imagine Denver lets this one get away. Malone, and the team pretty much said that the team sort of gave up early on in the first when the threes weren't falling. Denver is gonna need to play with some desperation, and they'll be fine.

In all honesty, game 5 should have been the series clincher. Game 1 was given away in the first quarter, and had they started that game with more intensity, it's a double digit lead most of the night.

Getting blown out and quitting in game 6 was probably the best thing for Denver if they had to go to game 7, and the sheer likelihood of them dropping 3/4 at home this series feels impossible. If they do, and they can't find the fight, then they don't deserve to win, despite looking like the more flexible team.

Man. The Celtic fan in me is pulling for the Wolves because I know the Celtic offense will shred those guys, and they have the defensive personnel to routinely keep Minnesota near 100.

On the other hand, the basketball fan in me wants to see a Denver Celtics final. 7 game series of entirely different offensive basketball.

For Sunday's game 7, Denver will likely get the job done.

[Jaqua92]

Yikes. It's taken me almost a day to recover from last night. I don't know how a team can look so good for three games then get absolutely dismantled like they did last night. Basketball is such a weird sport.

I have no idea what to expect om Sunday.

I will say, if Jokic can drag this group to another championship, he's GOAT worthy. I don't want anyone to say he has an excellent supporting cast. These guys are lowkey bums.

It was pretty clear what happened. Denver came out swinging, Jamal injured his elbow, and the entire energy of the team shifted. Timberwolves went on a run, Denver got complacent, and started shooting 3s and got discouraged when the shots didn't fall according to Malone.

Denver knew that they had a game 7 as an option at home, and they more or less quit in the first quarter after Murray's injury and the poor 3pt shooting.

This wasn't anything like game 1&2. Denver didn't get frustrated and crumble under defense, and get out executed down the stretch... They just sort of gave up. They were generating good looks all night.

If Murray doesn't get hurt, and a few 3s fell in the first, it's a different game.

[Wolfgang630]

At least this game won’t be at 10:30 at night.

[AleksandarN]

Stop it

stop what? aaron gordon will play better in another team without jokic? michael porter will be able to get wide open looks in another team as much as he gets in Denver, thanks to jokic?

I was just stressing the fact that jokic is elevating everyone on that team and any of team would be worse in another team. see bruce brown. he is already a journeyman in one year.

Um yes both those players would be a great fit and would get great shots and easy buckets playing with the Lakers and LeBron/AD

They would be favorites

Reaves, Porter Jr, LeBron, Gordon, AD

So you are just going to add 55 million dollars to your cap for free?

[jkvonny]

I can't imagine Denver lets this one get away. Malone, and the team pretty much said that the team sort of gave up early on in the first when the threes weren't falling. Denver is gonna need to play with some desperation, and they'll be fine.

In all honesty, game 5 should have been the series clincher. Game 1 was given away in the first quarter, and had they started that game with more intensity, it's a double digit lead most of the night.

Getting blown out and quitting in game 6 was probably the best thing for Denver if they had to go to game 7, and the sheer likelihood of them dropping 3/4 at home this series feels impossible. If they do, and they can't find the fight, then they don't deserve to win, despite looking like the more flexible team.

[b]Man. The Celtic fan in me is pulling for the Wolves because know the Celtic offense will shred those guys, and they have the defensive personnel to routinely keep Minnesota near 100.

On the other hand, the basketball fan in me wants to see a Denver Celtics final. 7 game series of entirely different offensive basketball.

For Sunday's game 7, Denver will likely get the job done.

I wouldnt be too cocky about this one.

[TheNG]

stop what? aaron gordon will play better in another team without jokic? michael porter will be able to get wide open looks in another team as much as he gets in Denver, thanks to jokic?

I was just stressing the fact that jokic is elevating everyone on that team and any of team would be worse in another team. see bruce brown. he is already a journeyman in one year.

Um yes both those players would be a great fit and would get great shots and easy buckets playing with the Lakers and LeBron/AD

They would be favorites

Reaves, Porter Jr, LeBron, Gordon, AD

So you are just going to add 55 million dollars to your cap for free?

Lakers fans never remove guys from their team unless their trash. They prefer just to add more players to their existing team instead.

[CodeBreaker]

Whenever it's Game 7, you just gotta go with the team that has the best player on the court. It's Jokic.

[Edrees]

Yeah in two playoffs Denver played 4 game 7s, they went 3-1 in them. That's 75%, interestingly enough they historically have a 75% chance of winning because that's how often a home team wins game 7.

Yeah but Denver already lost 2 home games this series. So the home team is more suspectible than usual. I bet all those other game 7's the home team only lost like one or zero homes game prior to game 7

If that's the case, just announce the Minnesota-Denver game at 6 MT no matter what!

I think they'd like to avoid having to make east coast people stay up late if they can.

An 8 pm east coast tip is not "staying up late"

Game ends at 10pm. Sunday night. Thats late for many

[Shaka_Zulu]

Whenever it's Game 7, you just gotta go with the team that has the best player on the court. It's Jokic.

Unless if the best player in a game 7 is Embiid. Then every time I'm for sure going with The Other Guys.









Random realGmer be like:

[Wolfgang630]

You would think “Joker playing great in a game 7” is the most surefire statement we can make, but this series is so weird I don’t even know

[CodeBreaker]

Whenever it's Game 7, you just gotta go with the team that has the best player on the court. It's Jokic.

Unless if the best player in a game 7 is Embiid. Then every time I'm for sure going with The Other Guys.









Random realGmer be like:

[Sealab2024]

My biggest hope lies in the fact that the Wolves, yet again, have nothing to lose. They lose the game, well, you just took the defending (and probable repeating at that point) NBA champions to seven games in a series where jabs were evidently outlawed. Only haymakers in this series. That's still a successful season and we go into the offseason legitimately believing we win it all next year in no small part due to the experience of this year.

We win, well that's when things get real fun.

PS. I can't figure out how to post pictures but if I could the still frame side shot from the last round of Rocky where Rock and Apollo are squaring up on each other both just completely destroyed but not giving an inch would be proper.

[WestGOAT]

Did they move the Nuggets and Wolves game to later? It was scheduled 21:00 GMT initially, now I see it's 01:00, I mean Pacers - Knicks is not bad, but was looking forward to watching it at a reasonable time.. Guess I shall just try to catch a replay in the morning

[Jaqua92]

I can't imagine Denver lets this one get away. Malone, and the team pretty much said that the team sort of gave up early on in the first when the threes weren't falling. Denver is gonna need to play with some desperation, and they'll be fine.

In all honesty, game 5 should have been the series clincher. Game 1 was given away in the first quarter, and had they started that game with more intensity, it's a double digit lead most of the night.

Getting blown out and quitting in game 6 was probably the best thing for Denver if they had to go to game 7, and the sheer likelihood of them dropping 3/4 at home this series feels impossible. If they do, and they can't find the fight, then they don't deserve to win, despite looking like the more flexible team.

[b]Man. The Celtic fan in me is pulling for the Wolves because know the Celtic offense will shred those guys, and they have the defensive personnel to routinely keep Minnesota near 100.

On the other hand, the basketball fan in me wants to see a Denver Celtics final. 7 game series of entirely different offensive basketball.

For Sunday's game 7, Denver will likely get the job done.

I wouldnt be too cocky about this one.

Believe me, I'm the last thing from cocky when it comes to the Celtics. I basically been ran off the board here for being low and harsh on those guys. I think Minnesota matches up better against Denver than they do anyone else.

The Celtics just have more more weapons on offense And they will absolutely be the best defense Minnesota sees all playoffs. They have four guys they can throw at Ant, all of who can do a better job than any other man coverage he'll face all postseason. Unlike Denver, the Celtics can handle and hang with that aggressive "foul every possession" kind of defense because they've been on both ends of it for years. This Celtic core has loads of experience deep in the postseason playing against extremely physical defense and playing extremely physical defense. The Celtics are absolutely the worst matchup possible for the Timberwolves and I can't imagine the wolves even getting to six games.

I don't think it will matter though because I think Denver will win on Sunday, get to the finals and probably beat the Celtics in 6

[Sealab2024]

Did they move the Nuggets and Wolves game to later? It was scheduled 21:00 GMT initially, now I see it's 01:00, I mean Pacers - Knicks is not bad, but was looking forward to watching it at a reasonable time.. Guess I shall just try to catch a replay in the morning

It's TBD stateside when you look it up so who the hell knows.

[jkvonny]

Did they move the Nuggets and Wolves game to later? It was scheduled 21:00 GMT initially, now I see it's 01:00, I mean Pacers - Knicks is not bad, but was looking forward to watching it at a reasonable time.. Guess I shall just try to catch a replay in the morning

It's TBD stateside when you look it up so who the hell knows.

I have no idea either.

It's up in the air, tentative ATM. TV folks still trying to figure it out.

There's no NHL (hockey) playoff game tomorrow either. All the other series have been clinched already besides the Canucks/Oilers (Vancouver up 3-2). Game 6 tonite, game 7 on Monday if necessary.

UFL (spring football) plays this weekend, so maybe that?

[tamaraw08]

Yikes. It's taken me almost a day to recover from last night. I don't know how a team can look so good for three games then get absolutely dismantled like they did last night. Basketball is such a weird sport.

I have no idea what to expect om Sunday.

I will say, if Jokic can drag this group to another championship, he's GOAT worthy. I don't want anyone to say he has an excellent supporting cast. These guys are lowkey bums.

The 2008 Celtics with 3 HOF’s plus Rondo needed 3 game 7’s in the weaker East before winning it all that year. Phil Jackson called it as “throw away” games. They get outplayed early and being aware of a long series, that they have to get beaten 4 times, they fold and then get ready for the next game.

[shrink]

Man. The Celtic fan in me is pulling for the Wolves because I know the Celtic offense will shred those guys, and they have the defensive personnel to routinely keep Minnesota near 100.

I’m curious why you think that?