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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, center, drives to the basket between Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and forward Aaron Gordon in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA second-round playoff series Sunday in Denver. David Zalubowski, AP Photo

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 Minnesota Timberwolves ap 05212024

<div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1716262935685Minnesota-Timberwolves-ap-05212024.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, center, drives to the basket between Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and forward Aaron Gordon in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA second-round playoff series Sunday in Denver. David Zalubowski, AP Photo"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, center, drives to the basket between Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and forward Aaron Gordon in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA second-round playoff series Sunday in Denver. <em>David Zalubowski, AP Photo</em></span><em> </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">DENVER (AP) — As the shock of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/timberwolves-nuggets-score-nba-playoffs-377332a8eee6a516d9bb30cea2a371dd" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:var(--linkLightColor);text-decoration:none;background-color:transparent;cursor:pointer;outline:none">blowing their 20-point Game 7 lead</a> settled in, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone repeated what had become somewhat of an underlying mantra for his talented but thinned team.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">“I consider the San Antonio Spurs a dynasty, and they never won back-to-back,” said Malone, saluting the franchise that won NBA titles every other year between 2003 and 2007.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">The Nuggets will have to try to follow that formula now that their quest to become the first repeat champion since Golden State in 2018 came to a screeching end Sunday night with their 98-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and their rising superstar Anthony Edwards.</p><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/5/20/edwards-leads-wolves-in-win-over-defending-nba-champion-nuggets-1151"></a><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(29, 29, 29);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/5/20/edwards-leads-wolves-in-win-over-defending-nba-champion-nuggets-1151">Edwards leads Wolves in win over defending NBA champion Nuggets</a></span></div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Jamal Murray bounced back from an elbow injury and a bad Game 6 with 35 points and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic had 34 points and 19 rebounds.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">The duo combined for 32 second-half points but they got just five points from their supporting cast — a 3-pointer by Michael Porter Jr. and a bucket from Christian Braun, as the Wolves won for the third time in four games at Ball Arena.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Porter in particular was stifled by Minnesota&#x27;s stellar defense. After averaging 22.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers, MPJ was held to 11.3 points and 5.4 boards in Round 2.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Porter blamed himself for the Nuggets having to make earlier-than-expected summer vacation plans.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">“There are a lot of things we could’ve done differently as a team,” Porter said. “But I know if I would’ve played my part, we would’ve won this series. And I’ve got to live with that.”</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Porter entered these playoffs with a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-nuggets-porter-brother-nba-cd53c902d10e93f9df205d0ec5c0a619" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:var(--linkLightColor);text-decoration:none;background-color:transparent;cursor:pointer;outline:none">heavy heart</a> after one brother was sentenced to six years in jail for vehicular homicide and another brother was banned from the NBA for life for his role in a gambling scandal.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">“I’m not going to sit here and act like it wasn’t a burden and I wasn’t thinking about it all day every day,” Porter said. “But that’s still no excuse. I’m a better player than I played in this series. I’m a better shooter than I shot in this series. In the NBA, you have to be able to separate your off-the-court matters with your on-the-court-play.”</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Had he been able to better deal with that — not to mention the Wolves&#x27; swarming defense — Porter argues the Nuggets would be the ones preparing to host the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals this week instead of Minnesota.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Instead, they&#x27;re the fifth consecutive NBA champion to fail to make it out of the second round in their quest to defend their title.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">“We knew it was hard,” Malone said. “It was something I talked to our team in training camp. The last team to do it was the ‘17-18 Warriors and with the rules being what they are now I think it’s going to become even harder and harder to repeat as champions.”</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">After losing key veterans Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency following the franchise&#x27;s first NBA title last summer, general manager Calvin Booth&#x27;s options to restock the team were limited by new rules in the collective bargaining agreement that make it harder for high-priced teams such as the Nuggets to keep their core intact and also acquire veteran free agents.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Denver&#x27;s starting five made a combined $151.6 million this season, well over the $136 million salary cap before even accounting for the rest of the roster. So, instead of restocking with experienced veterans, the Nuggets decided to give minutes to young players such as Christian Braun and Peyton Watson while working in rookies Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Meanwhile, all their pursuers got better, mainly through trades and free agency signings. Nine of the top 10 teams in the Western Conference won more games this season than they did a year ago, including the Nuggets, who tied a franchise record with 57 wins, four more than they had a year ago, but still slipped from the No. 1 seed to the No. 2.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Braun came on strong down the stretch and was a key player off the bench in the playoffs. Watson&#x27;s defensive prowess led to spectacular stretches but he didn&#x27;t earn Malone&#x27;s trust enough to be part of the playoff rotation.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Veterans Justin Holliday, Reggie Jackson and DeAndre Jordan got postseason cameos while Strawther, Pickett and Hunter logged meager minutes against Minnesota.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">The biggest difference in the series was Minnesota&#x27;s superior bench featuring Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid along with Kyle Anderson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Denver&#x27;s starters outscored Minnesota&#x27;s starters (565-551) in the series, but Minnesota&#x27;s reserves outscored Denver&#x27;s by a whopping 50 points — 168-118.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">The Nuggets simply couldn&#x27;t buck the trend of the NBA producing a new champion every year since 2019. Being the hunted, Aaron Gordon noted, “is exhausting,&quot; and Jokic worked so many taxing minutes against the Wolves&#x27; three-center rotation that he mused about cloning himself.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Jokic said he&#x27;ll have to think long and hard about suiting up for Serbia at the Paris Olympics this summer. But Murray, who dealt with knee, calf, ankle, shin and elbow injuries this season, missing 23 games, said he&#x27;ll suit up for Team Canada.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Beyond that, Murray is already looking at chasing the NBA title again next season.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;line-height:1.4;padding:0.8rem 0px !important;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">“It&#x27;s back to being the hunter,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The Nuggets' quest to become the first repeat champion since Golden State in 2018 came to a screeching end Sunday night with their 98-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and their rising superstar Anthony Edwards.</p>

The Nuggets' quest to become the first repeat champion since Golden State in 2018 came to a screeching end Sunday night with their 98-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and their rising superstar Anthony Edwards.

Nuggets are 5th straight NBA champs to falter in quest to repeat

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Nuggets are 5th straight NBA champs to falter in quest to repeat

AP,

Arnie Stapleton,

Associated Press

Published May 21, 2024 11:42 AM PHT

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