Nuggets run away with Game 1 win over Timberwolves

The Denver Nuggets, the No. 1 seed within the Western Convention, proved why they earned the highest spot after a convincing 109-80 win over the No. 8 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in Recreation 1 of their first spherical matchup within the NBA Playoffs on Sunday night time. 

It was a full workforce effort for the Nuggets, as they’d six completely different gamers with double-digit points on the night time together with the complete beginning 5. 

However none have been higher than Jamal Murray, who led the best way with 24 factors on 9-of-22 taking pictures, together with 4-of-10 three-pointers made, with eight rebounds and eight assists. 

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Aaron Gordon #50 of the Denver Nuggets celebrates a 3 level basket throughout Spherical One Recreation One of many 2023 NBA Playoffs in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 16, 2023 on the Ball Area in Denver, Colorado.  (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty Pictures)

Nikola Jokic additionally had a double-double within the first half after tallying 13 factors after going 6-of-10 from the sphere and 10 rebounds. He would end the sport with 14 rebounds and 6 assists. 

Aaron Gordon (13 factors, 5 rebounds), Michael Porter Jr. (18 factors, 11 rebounds, two assists), Kentavius Caldwell-Pope (15 factors, 4 rebounds) and Bruce Brown (14 factors, three rebounds) all completed the sport with double digits to assist the Nuggets to victory.

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A 13-0 run within the third quarter that put the Nuggets up 81-56 thanks partially to Caldwell-Pope’s nook three-pointer earlier than the Wolves known as a timeout. However after Denver’s 32-14 third quarter, they ran up their result in 29 factors and did not look again. 

The Nuggets would get it as much as 30 with 2:04 left to go within the fourth quarter, and everybody in Ball Area in Denver knew Recreation 1 was within the house workforce’s pocket.

Frustration even boiled over for the Wolves when Kyle Anderson wished to get a shot up after the whistle within the third quarter, however guard Christian Braun from the Nuggets didn’t let need him to. He saved placing his hand in entrance of the ball as Anderson went to shoot, and the latter ultimately obtained fed up. 

Bruce Brown #11 of the Denver Nuggets celebrates throughout Spherical One Recreation One of many 2023 NBA Playoffs in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 16, 2023 on the Ball Area in Denver, Colorado.  (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty Pictures)

Anderson threw an elbow that brought about a little bit of a scuffle between each groups, and he was ultimately hit with a flagrant foul that allowed Braun to shoot two free throws and provides Denver the ball. 

For the Timberwolves, stars Karl-Anthony Cities and Anthony Edwards didn’t have good nights. Beginning with Cities, he completed the sport with simply 11 factors on 5-of-15 taking pictures, although it was a double-double with 10 rebounds in addition to two assists. 

Edwards struggling taking pictures as effectively with 6-of-15 from the sphere for 189 factors. He had two rebounds and 5 assists, too. 

As a workforce, the Wolves shot simply 37% from the sphere, together with 30.6% from three-point land. That was in comparison with the Nuggets’ 45.6% from the sphere. 

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Karl-Anthony Cities #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves within the first quarter throughout Spherical 1 Recreation 1 of the NBA Playoffs at Ball Area on April 16, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.  (Matthew Stockman/Getty Pictures)

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Recreation 2 will happen at Ball Area but once more on Wednesday with tip-off at 10:00 p.m. ET.