After the Nuggets slipped in game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, many believed a comeback was on the cards. Proving them wrong, the Timberwolves took a 2-0 lead on Monday and silenced Ball Arena in the process.
The Minnesota side has cruise control over the series, and Charles Barkley believes it is already over for the reigning NBA champions. On the set of NBA On TNT, Chuck made a bold statement after game 2 by declaring the Timberwolves winners of the series.
He said, “This series is a wrap. Minnesota is better than the Nuggets. No disrespect. They don’t have an advantage. The MVP is getting outplayed. They don’t have an advantage anywhere. Jamal Murray, I think, is still hurt a little bit. But other than that, they don’t have an advantage anywhere. This series is a wrap.”
After game 1, Nikola Jokic joked about getting a clone of himself to combat the relentless Wolves defense, but Karl-Anthony Towns and Co. bottled the 2-time MVP even without Rudy Gobert. The Frenchman was absent due to childbirth, but that did not have much effect on the game, as the Timberwolves won 106-80.
Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns Lead Timberwolves to Win
After a smashing game 1 performance, Anthony Edwards picked up right where he left off. Ant-Man scored 27 points on the Nuggets, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists on 11-17 shooting.
In Gobert’s absence, Karl-Anthony Towns stepped up to contain the Nuggets’ offense. But that didn’t stop him from equaling Anthony Edwards’s score on the night. Marauding from the center position, KAT scored 27 points on 10-15 shooting from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds.
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The Nuggets remained uninspiring throughout the game, with only Aaron Gordan reaching the 20-point mark for the home side. Jamal Murray’s struggles in the series continued after going 16.7% from the field with only 8 points in the bag. Jokic had a double-double night, but that was hardly enough to counter the Timberwolves.
The two sides will meet on Friday for game 3, which could put the Timberwolves closer to handing back-to-back series sweeps in the postseason.
