Nuggets flip script in Game 3, crush Timberwolves at Target Center

It was all Denver from start to finish Friday night in downtown Minneapolis.

May 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks to pass the / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said pregame he expected the Denver Nuggets, facing a 2-0 series deficit, to give them their best shot in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series Friday night at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. 

The defending champions did exactly that, delivering a valiant effort on both sides of the ball that was reminiscent of how the Timberwolves dismantled them in Game 2. The Nuggets crushed the Wolves 117-90 in Game 3, handing them their first loss in this year's playoffs. The Nuggets' victory ensures the series will head back to Denver for a Game 5. The Wolves now have a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4 is on Sunday night in Minneapolis.

Game 3 was oddly similar to Game 2, just with roles reversed. It was the Nuggets that set the tone, keeping the Timberwolves out of rhythm with their defensive efforts while flipping the script offensively. The Wolves struggled from the field, shooting 44% and 30% from 3-point range.

The Nuggets would press at times, keeping the Wolves out of sorts early. Minnesota just never seemed to find an offensive rhythm, and the energy wasn't there from the jump.

"Just sluggish. Slow pace up and down the floor, wasn't where we needed it to be, where it has been all postseason," Finch said. "Decision-making wasn't there, just general movement and activity wasn't there. ... Not a lot of good things on either end of the floor really."

Just like in Game 2, frustrations eventually boiled over, but this time it was on the other side. Naz Reid picked up a technical foul during the third quarter, and both Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kyle Anderson picked up technicals in the fourth quarter when the game was already well out of the Timberwolves' reach with 5 minutes, 54 seconds left to play.

Friday night's game was called much tighter than Game 2, which didn't play to the Wolves advantage. They were frustrated with foul calls all night long before tempers eventually flared in the fourth.

"We don't worry about no whistles. It's the playoffs, it's the playoffs," said Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished his night with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Still, there were clearly some frustrations that eventually resulted in that pair of technicals in the fourth. That's when the Wolves officially waved the white flag and subbed in the end of their bench.

In another similarity to Game 2, the score was even the same after one quarter of play — 28-20 — just with the Nuggets holding the eight-point advantage. And they pulled away in similar fashion as the Wolves did that last time out. Justin Holiday and Jamal Murray hit back-to-back 3s to open the second quarter that put the Nuggets up 14. They were more or less off and running from there. 

"We were just flat for whatever reason," Mike Conley said. "I think we were excited, we were overly excited to play. Hadn't been home in two weeks and wanted to get out there. And just one of those games. They came out, we knew they were going to be the desperate team, and they played like it. All their players got into a great rhythm early."

One of those players was Murray, who delivered a nice bounce-back performance after struggling heavily in Game 2 in which he shot 3 for 18 from the field. And it all came in the face of boos from the sold-out Target Center crowd every time he touched the ball. Murray was Public Enemy No. 1 in downtown Minneapolis following his heat pack throwing antics during Game 2.

Nevertheless, Murray finished with 24 points on 11-of-21 shooting, five assists and four rebounds. 

"Jamal is Jamal," Conley said. "He's not gonna go 3 for 18 every game."

But Murray's strong performance could be at least partially attributed to Jaden McDaniels finding himself in some early fould trouble. McDaniels picked up his second foul with 6 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter, then he picked up his third early in the second quarter, forcing Finch and the Wolves to keep him out of the game for extended stretches during the first half.

And Murray had plenty of help, too, from his Nuggets teammates. Their entire starting five finished in double figures, and Nikola Jokic nearly had a triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, and he also had a trio of steals as well as three blocks.

Michael Porter Jr. got off to a hot start and finished with 21 points.

The Timberwolves made a few runs, but they just weren't able to make a significant dent into the Nuggets' lead. Conley hit a 3-pointer that capped a 7-0 run in the second quarter that cut their deficit from 20 to 13. But the Nuggets answered with a 6-0 run over their own following a timeout.

Anthony Edwards, who finished his night with 19 points, six boards and five assists, scored 10 third-quarter points as he attempted to lead the Timberwolves back from a 56-41 halftime deficit. But the Nuggets answered every bucket before eventually pulling away once and for all.

The Timberwolves found themselves facing a 93-67 deficit entering the fourth quarter, really not giving themselves a chance to get back into the game. It just wasn't the Timberwolves' night on either end of the floor, and certainly a far cry from the way they played the first two games in Denver.

But the defending champions were never going to go down without a fight. And it's just the first loss the Timberwolves have endured this postseason. The Wolves know they need to play better than they did Friday night. Expect a different energy when they take the court again on Sunday for Game 4, when they'll be looking to take a 3-1 series lead back to Denver.

"I haven't seen anyone win 16 straight in the playoffs, so odds weren't on our side to do that," Towns said. "So a little adversity will be good for us."