(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Denver Nuggets never knew what hit them in Game 1.
Chris Finch’s team got there ready to play, and it’s safe to say that they’ve dug deep into last year’s playoff series tape.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were the smartest, toughest, and most prepared team on the floor in Game 1, and they managed to escape with a big win to steal homecourt advantage.
Rudy Gobert was a massive factor defensively, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid were quite efficient in scoring the basketball.
That’s why there wasn’t much Nikola Jokic could do against this three-headed monster.
When asked about the adjustments he could make to prevent them from dominating again in the next game, the reigning Finals MVP simply stated that he should have a clone of himself out there (via Michael Scotto).
Nikola Jokic on how he can be effective against Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid: “To have a duplicate clone of myself.” pic.twitter.com/39piWb1eKo
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 5, 2024
Perhaps that’s not what you’d want to hear from your star player, but it was also quite an honest answer.
It was a perfect storm for the Timberwolves, and as great a team as they’ve been all season, it might be difficult to replicate.
Mike Conley turned back the clock to have an outstanding performance with 14 points and ten assists, and he only missed three of the eight shots he took.
Jamal Murray’s shot was off in the first half, and that’s also not something that happens very often, especially in the playoffs.
This series is obviously far from over, and the Nuggets are the reigning champions for a reason.
Still, the Timberwolves are for real, and this will be a very exciting series to watch.
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