MINNEAPOLIS — Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone challenged his staff to behave and play just like the defending champions.
On Friday, the Nuggets, and Jamal Murray particularly, responded with their greatest efficiency of the playoffs, routing the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-90 in Sport 3 on the Goal Heart. The Nuggets path the Timberwolves 2-1 of their best-of-seven collection.
Murray, fueled by a hostile Minnesota crowd that booed him from the second he stepped onto the ground throughout pregame warmups, scored 18 of his 24 factors within the first half to set the tone for the Nuggets.
“That undoubtedly fueled me in the course of the recreation,” Murray mentioned of the boos. “And simply retains me in that mode. So it is enjoyable. I embrace that problem. I embrace that second. I in all probability deserved the boos, so I am not shying away from it.”
Minnesota followers would not let Murray off the hook for throwing a warmth pack and towel onto the ground throughout a dreadful 106-80 Nuggets loss in Sport 2. Murray, who shot 3-for-18 in that loss, was fined $100,000 by the league for throwing objects onto the courtroom.
Murray’s troublesome left calf pressure was higher Friday night time, and he thrived in his function because the villain.
“He does type of relish these moments the place he is a foul man,” Malone mentioned. “To me, that starting of the sport, you are in hostile territory, and that is type of the place you separate the person from the boys.”
The Nuggets constructed a 45-25 lead halfway via the second quarter. With Malone emphasizing a hit-first mentality on offense, the Nuggets cleared extra space for his or her shooters than they’d within the earlier two video games in opposition to the Timberwolves’ suffocating protection.
Murray confirmed how significantly better he was feeling when he used two crossovers to shake freed from Karl-Anthony Cities earlier than drilling a jumper on the large man within the first quarter.
“We had a stay observe, so I received to check it out,” Murray mentioned of Denver’s observe on Thursday. “However this was in all probability the most effective I felt going into the sport. After which it tightened up on the finish. But it surely’s good, man.”
Minnesota followers seemingly wished Murray had been suspended for throwing objects onto the ground in Sport 2, even when Timberwolves coach Chris Finch wasn’t anticipating that to occur.
“I wasn’t dissatisfied within the league’s determination,” Finch mentioned. “Not as a result of essentially I agreed. It was merely I by no means, ever, ever anticipated them to droop him. I believed they’d throw a heavy fantastic. There hasn’t actually been a lot precedent for suspending folks actually within the playoffs until it is a repeat offense. Whether or not it’s or it is not a suspendable factor would not matter now.”
Finch was anticipating the Nuggets to ship a championship efficiency, and Denver did simply that. All 5 Denver starters scored in double figures. After Murray began scorching, MVP Nikola Jokic took over within the third quarter, scoring 13 of his 24 factors within the body. He completed with 24 factors, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and three blocks, together with a number of essential screens to set teammates free for pictures.
Michael Porter Jr. had 21 factors, and Aaron Gordon buried three triples and had 13 factors.
“That was Denver Nugget basketball,” Malone mentioned. “And that is the primary time I’ve seen that on this collection for 4 quarters.”
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 19 factors but additionally had a game-high 5 turnovers, and Minnesota was outscored by 32 factors within the 37 minutes he was on the courtroom.
“I will take the blame for this loss,” Edwards mentioned. “I got here out with no power in any respect. I can not afford to do this for my staff. I let my staff down, coaches down, followers down. I will be prepared Sunday.”
Edwards wasn’t the one member of the Timberwolves to take accountability after the staff misplaced for the primary time this postseason following a 6-0 begin.
Minnesota level guard Mike Conley (10 factors, 6 assists) mentioned the sport was officiated otherwise than the collection was in Denver, as evidenced by Jaden McDaniels selecting up three fouls in eight minutes of taking part in time within the first half. However Conley put the onus on his staff to adapt to the whistle.
“Tonight, guys weren’t allowed to be as bodily as we had been within the final recreation, so we needed to modify our play for that, and that is what good groups do,” Conley mentioned. “We do not blame the refs and suppose that is why we misplaced this recreation. We all know higher than that.”
Cities, who had 14 factors on 4-for-7 capturing, tied for the second-fewest shot makes an attempt he has taken in 23 profession playoff video games, mentioned Denver gave Minnesota a wake-up name.
“It is a terrific humbling expertise, I feel, for our staff,” Cities mentioned. “To know that this isn’t simple. Simply because we have been lucky to seek out ourselves on the profitable finish for six straight playoff video games do not imply that the seventh, the eighth, the ninth, the tenth goes to be the identical end result. I feel it is a nice humbling expertise for us and the defending champions undoubtedly gave us that have and it’ll make us hungrier. I feel it’ll make us a greater staff.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.
