No team made a bigger statement in the first round than the Minnesota Timberwolves. By thoroughly dismantling and humiliating Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and the Phoenix Suns with a 4-0 sweep, Anthony Edwards and the Wolves showed they’re the real deal.
Meanwhile, the defending champion Denver Nuggets carried on from where they left off last post-season by tucking away LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers with a gentleman’s sweep in a rematch of last year’s conference finals.
Those two series results leave no bigger winner than the fans, as this series between the Wolves and Nuggets has all the makings of an all-timer.
Nikola Jokic is the king of the NBA castle but Edwards is showing he’ll do whatever it takes to assume the throne. Rudy Gobert’s defensive credentials are set for the ultimate test while Jamal Murray will hope to use his big shot-making to propel himself back to peak form. How decisive will Karl-Anthony Towns and Michael Porter Jr. prove?
Here’s everything you need to know about this incredibly tantalizing matchup worthy of a conference final:
(2) Nuggets vs. (3) Timberwolves
Season series: Tied 2-2.
• Nov. 1 DEN @ MIN: Wolves won 110-89
• Mar. 19 DEN @ MIN: Nuggets won 115-112
• Mar. 29 MIN @ DEN: Wolves won 111-98
• Apr. 10 MIN @ DEN: Nuggets won 116-107
Betting line:
Nuggets are 1.50/1 to win the series.
Wolves are 2.65/1 to win the series.
Game 1: Wolves +4.5/Nuggets -4.5. O/U 207.5.
All odds courtesy per bet365.
Series schedule:
Saturday, May 4 @ 7:00 p.m. ET, Game 1
Monday, May 6 @ 10:00 p.m. ET, Game 2
Friday, May 10 @ 9:30 p.m. ET, Game 3
Sunday, May 12 @ 8:00 p.m. ET, Game 4
Tuesday, May 14 @ TBD, Game 5* (if necessary)
Thursday, May 16 @ TBD, Game 6* (if necessary)
Sunday, May 19 @ TBD, Game 7* (if necessary)
PULSE ON NUGGETS:
Nikola Jokic further solidified his claims as the best player in the league by going up against one of the best big man defenders in the league in Anthony Davis putting up 28.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists while shooting 59.1 per cent from the field and 92.6 per cent at the free-throw line. Jamal Murray had some huge moments including two game-winners but only shot 40 per cent from the field including 29.4 per cent from three for the series.
In fact, Porter Jr. was arguably the Nuggets’ second-best player in the Lakers series with 22.8 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 55.3 per cent from the field including a sparkling 48.8 per cent on 8.2 three-point attempts per game. His defence is virtually unrecognizable from his first few years in the league, becoming much wiser in how he uses his 6-foot-10 frame and seven-foot wingspan.
No one plays better defence on the Nuggets than Aaron Gordon, and he continues to be a revelation in the Denver uniform.
As a team, the one area of concern will be the team shooting just 31.4 per cent from the three-point line in its first five playoff games, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is also struggling from beyond the arc at just 28.6 per cent. The Nuggets finished dead last in three-point attempts during the regular season, making it all the more important that they at least be efficient when they let it fly from deep.
PULSE ON WOLVES:
Winning a playoff series for the franchise’s first time in two decades via a sweep requires some serious swag and Anthony Edwards is all the swag the Wolves need. It doesn’t matter that people like to poke fun at Gobert or that Towns has had his share of playoff demons, Edwards takes on all comers in such brave fashion that everyone else can’t help but feel comfortable in their own skin.
Edwards finished the first round averaging 31.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.0 steals while shooting 51.2 per cent from the field including 43.8 per cent from three. There were also about two to three soul-sucking plays per game followed by a healthy dose of trash talk.
Towns’ value as a floor spacer was tremendous against Phoenix, shooting 52.9 per cent from deep through four playoff games but tests don’t get bigger than the defending champs. That test will apply to Gobert’s defence as well, where he’ll have to have something extra special up his sleeve to slow down the Joker. Let’s not forget that one of the rare instances of Jokic trash talk came at the expense of Gobert while he was still a member of the Utah Jazz:
Minnesota currently has the No. 1 offence in the post-season but the one caveat is that it came against a porous Suns defence. They can be sloppy with the ball but it just didn’t matter against Phoenix. It will matter now.
X-FACTORS
Jaden McDaniels (Wolves: For those unaware, McDaniels is one of the best defenders in the NBA. He will likely see plenty of time matched up against Jamal Murray, and his ability to stifle the Kitchener, Ont., native will prove vital to Minnesota’s chances in the series. McDaniels also quietly contributed 14.3 points per game in the first round, though his outside shot will be tested in this series.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Nuggets): The Nuggets rely heavily on their starters and while Caldwell-Pope is a sure bet on the defensive end, he will need to make his share of shots in this series. He was a 40.6 per cent three-point shooter during the regular season and has shot 38.5 per cent or better in each of his last five seasons. If there’s a correction from his current 28.6 per cent mark in these playoffs, that combined with his stellar defence will make Minnesota’s task that much more difficult.
KEY TO VICTORY
Perimeter defence (Nuggets): Edwards didn’t see anyone close to the calibre of defender Gordon is when going up against the Suns but he will surely get a healthy dose of Gordon in this series. You can bet Caldwell-Pope will get the opportunity to match up with the Wolves superstar as well and if these two can force him into turnovers – one of his weaknesses – at a healthy rate, it’ll be a job half-done for the Nuggets.
Size and length (Wolves): No, that’s not the name of a Minnesota player but one of the reasons this matchup is so tantalizing is the Wolves’ ability to throw more size and length at Jokic than any other team in the league. They have two seven-footers in Gobert and Towns in the starting lineup accompanied by the length and athleticism of McDaniels and Edwards. There’s no bigger key to victory for the Wolves than how much of a difference that proves against Jokic.
