The Minnesota Timberwolves played without Defensive Player of the Year finalist Rudy Gobert on Monday.
It didn't matter.
The Timberwolves chased down the Denver Nuggets from the start and won in a landslide, 106-80. The point total was the lowest of the season for Denver and marked the second time in two playoff games that the Timberwolves held the Nuggets to under 100 points.
The win gave Minnesota its second road victory over the reigning NBA champions, giving it a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Can the Nuggets take the series back to Denver?
Barring some major adjustments in Games 3 and 4, the champions might have been playing their last home game of the season. The Timberwolves are the better team by a wide margin through two games and return to Minnesota with a chance to end the series at home.
This is an impressive win for a Nuggets team that never trailed in the series and lost only four games in the playoffs en route to last season's NBA title, winning the first two games of the conference semifinals. There were very few Mondays when the home title contenders struggled to get by against the best defense in the NBA.
Timberwolves deal with limping Jamal Murray
Minnesota picked up Friday's 106-99 win on Monday. The Timberwolves held Nuggets stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. scoreless in the first quarter to take a 28-20 lead. Murray was hampered by a lingering calf injury sustained in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Timberwolves repeatedly exploited his vulnerabilities with pressure defense and traps that harried the Nuggets' point guard.
Their efforts were rewarded in the box score. Murray remained scoreless at halftime, and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic was limited to eight points. The halftime point total between Denver's top two scorers was the lowest of the season.
On offense, Anthony Edwards continued to do his job. The breakout star scored 16 points in the first half after scoring 43 points in Game 1. All-Star teammate Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points at halftime as Denver couldn't match the strength of Minnesota's defense.
Minnesota outscored Denver 33-15 in the second quarter and led 61-35 at halftime. The 26-point difference was the largest in Nuggets home playoff history.
The match was over in half
There were no challenges from Denver after halftime. The Timberwolves increased their lead to 73-41 in the third quarter, but the Nuggets again fell within 19 points.
With the Timberwolves leading 95-70, Edwards got to the free-throw line, prompting MVP chants for the burgeoning Minnesota star. Home fans began lining up from Ball Arena. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone emptied his bench with more than three minutes left, giving the Timberwolves a 99-75 lead.
Edwards once again led the Timberwolves with 27 points, along with seven assists, two rebounds and a steal. He continued to attack the basket throughout the playoffs, making the tough buckets that have become his signature.
Towns shared the scoring lead with 27 points, 12 rebounds, one steal, and two blocks.
Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid took over Gobert's role as rim protector, coming off the bench and recording 14 points, four rebounds and four blocks in 29 minutes. Nickel Alexander-Walker was tasked with providing pressure on the perimeter and had 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks off the bench. Four Timberwolves players each recorded two steals.
The Nuggets didn't have an answer.
Aaron Gordon was Denver's lone bright spot on offense, scoring 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Jokic was the only Nuggets starter to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. He made 5-of-13 field goals and committed four turnovers, bettering his seven turnovers in Game 1.
Murray had eight points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals. He turned the ball over four times and made 3-of-18 field goals. He missed all four 3-point shots. Unless Murray makes a significant recovery from his calf injury, Denver will have to make a decision heading into Friday's Game 3.
As a team, the Nuggets shot 34.9 percent from the field and 30 percent (9 of 30) from 3-point range. They committed 16 turnovers. The Timberwolves fought back by shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 39.4 percent (13 of 33) from beyond the arc.
Again, the Timberwolves did all this without Gobert, who was home for the birth of his child on Monday morning. He tried to get to Denver in time for Monday's game, but complicated weather prevented him from making it in time. He'll probably be ready heading into Game 3 with the Timberwolves holding a 2-0 series lead.
