(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Timberwolves easily sailed past the reigning champion Denver Nuggets on Monday night, giving them a shocking 106-80 beating and earning a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
The entire Timberwolves team was working well, including Naz Reid.
As the NBA on ESPN pointed out, Reid was red hot all night and was a defensive monster.
In fact, the Nuggets shot 0-11 when Reid was the primary defender, showing they couldn’t get anything past the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.
The Nuggets couldn’t get anything to fall when guarded by Naz Reid in Game 2. pic.twitter.com/xPmmGGtjAM
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 7, 2024
Reid scored 14 points and 5 rebounds during Game 2 and also produced 4 blocks.
He was one of the many ways the Timberwolves defended the Nuggets, who were limited throughout the game.
The defense was suffocating and the Nuggets didn’t look like champions.
Reid was all over multiple Denver players, including their star shooter Jamal Murray, who only scored 8 points during his 35 minutes on the court.
For a number of reasons, the Nuggets fell behind the Timberwolves and were never able to catch up.
They are now in a very tricky situation and a deep hole.
Very few teams have climbed out of a 0-2 hole and the Nuggets will have to do that in Minnesota.
If they played as they did in Game 2, there is basically no chance of them evening the series.
All season long, Reid was talked about by many NBA experts as one of the best bench players in the league and he was particularly praised for his defensive skills.
On Monday night, he showed the world why he received such praise and why the Timberwolves are so lucky to have him.
Will the Nuggets be able to break through his stranglehold in Game 3?
The post Wild Stat Shows Naz Reid’s Impact On Game 2 appeared first on The Cold Wire.