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Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, left, goes up to block a shot by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, as Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) looks on in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. David Zalubowski, AP Photo

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, left, goes up to block a shot by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, as Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) looks on in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver

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NBA Playoffs

Associated Press

<div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1714968694985AP24126094063190.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, left, goes up to block a shot by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, as Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) looks on in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. David Zalubowski, AP Photo"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, left, goes up to block a shot by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, as Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) looks on in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver. <em>David Zalubowski, AP Photo</em></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">DENVER (AP) — The reigning NBA champions could be facing an early exit if they don&#x27;t bring more urgency and physicality into their series with Minnesota.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">While Anthony Edwards was leading Minnesota&#x27;s efficient offense, the Timberwolves&#x27; trio of towers hounded MVP favorite Nikola Jokic into 14 missed shots and seven turnovers in their 106-99 win in Game 1.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The rotation of Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid confounded Jokic and underscored the Wolves&#x27; deeper bench, bigger lineup and more physical approach in the opener.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Jokic will have to figure out a way to counter that terrific trio in Game 2 on Monday night in order to send the series to Minneapolis knotted up.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/5/5/edwards-hits-43-to-spark-t-wolves-over-denver-in-nba-playoffs-1252"></a><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/5/5/edwards-hits-43-to-spark-t-wolves-over-denver-in-nba-playoffs-1252">READ: Edwards hits 43 to spark T-Wolves over Denver in Game 1</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Answers don&#x27;t come easily.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;To have a duplicate clone of myself,&quot; Jokic cracked after pondering the riddle for several seconds. &quot;And then I can ... be fresh when they sub another guy.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It&#x27;ll be a serious matter come tipoff Monday night.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Well, there&#x27;s only one Nikola Jokic,&quot; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Sunday. &quot;Obviously, everything he brings to the table on both ends of the floor is pretty unique, so as far as asking someone else on our roster to go in there and do what Nikola does may be a stretch.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;But what&#x27;s not a stretch is for anybody to go into the game and play with a lot more physicality, play with a lot more urgency, play with a lot more discipline.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">All were lacking as the Nuggets lost a Game 1 for the first time in two years.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Now it&#x27;s a new challenge,&quot; Malone said. &quot;So, let&#x27;s embrace that. We are down, didn&#x27;t want to be, but we are. So, let&#x27;s fight like hell tomorrow night and leave it all out there.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y_EbaSvRh_U?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">If only the Nuggets could get a healthier version of point guard Jamal Murray, who was rusty and still bothered by his strained left calf Saturday night, going scoreless in the first half and getting targeted repeatedly after halftime by the Wolves&#x27; pick-and-rolls that produced so many good looks.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Murray said everybody&#x27;s fighting through ailments this time of year and he&#x27;s no different, but he insisted he&#x27;ll be fine for Game 2 after logging 35 minutes in Game 1.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Wolves shot 71% in the second half and snatched a page from Denver&#x27;s playbook by using an 8-0 spurt to break open the back-and-forth game in the closing minutes.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Just watching the league the whole season, Denver is THE best team at executing down the stretch,&quot; Wolves guard Kyle Anderson said Sunday. &quot;They do such a good job. It&#x27;s like uncanny at times, they&#x27;re so good down the stretch. We were able to execute offensively and defensively. It was pretty impressive because you&#x27;re so used to watching Denver pull out the win.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Also Monday night, the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks renew their storied rivalry as they open their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series at Madison Square Garden.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>TIMBERWOLVES AT NUGGETS</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Timberwolves lead 1-0. Game 2, 10 p.m., TNT</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">— <strong>NEED TO KNOW</strong>: The Nuggets realize a faster start will be their best counter to the athletic and loaded Timberwolves lineup. They&#x27;ve trailed by big margins in the first quarter of all six of their playoff games and allowed Minnesota to get off to an 18-4 start in Game 1. No more cruising, no more pacing was the message during film review Sunday. &quot;We have to do a better job, and our starters in particular have to do a better job of being ready to play and setting a tone early,&quot; Malone said. &quot;What are we waiting for?&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">— <strong>KEEP AN EYE ON</strong>: Edwards&#x27; supporting cast that came up so big in the second half, which was a bigger thorn in Malone&#x27;s side than Edwards&#x27; 43 points. &quot;This may sound strange but he&#x27;s going to get his,&quot; Malone said. &quot;But you look at the third quarter. Mike Conley had 11 points, did not miss a shot, Karl-Anthony Towns had 11 points, did not miss a shot. Fourth quarter, Naz Reid had 14 points, went 6 for 7. Those are the guys that we have to find a way to shut down.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>INJURY WATCH</strong>: Murray&#x27;s strained left calf robbed him of his usual burst to the basket and explosion off the dribble. His zero points at halftime marked his first scoreless half in 59 career playoff games.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>PRESSURE IS ON</strong>: The Nuggets. They have to even things up before the series shifts to Minneapolis or this could indeed be an early exit for the defending champs, who would need to beat Edwards four times in five tries otherwise.</span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The reigning NBA champions could be facing an early exit if they don't bring more urgency and physicality into their series with Minnesota.</p>

The reigning NBA champions could be facing an early exit if they don't bring more urgency and physicality into their series with Minnesota.

Nuggets know physicality, stopping Edwards' supporting cast are keys to tying series with Wolves

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Nuggets know physicality, stopping Edwards' supporting cast are keys to tying series with Wolves

Associated Press,

Arnie Stapleton

Published May 06, 2024 12:14 PM PHT

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basketball

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Nikola Jokic

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