Connect with us

Minnesota

Recap: Denver Nuggets take first with 116-107 victory over Minnesota Timberwolves

Published

2 years ago

on

Recap: Denver Nuggets take first with 116-107 victory over Minnesota Timberwolves


Apr 10, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) reacts after his dunk in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 in the regular season finale at Ball Arena to take over first place in the West, with just two games to go against conference bottom-feeders. Beat San Antonio and Memphis and they’ll clinch the title and home court advantage through at least the conference finals.

The game seemed less a battle of titans than of chess masters matching wits. For three quarters the game lacked passion and athletic displays, which turned out to be in favor of Denver (56-24), the ultimate thinking man’s team. Simply, Nikola Jokic and his cerebral teammates dissected the talented Wolves, now 55-25. The Nuggets displayed a master class of defense during the fourth quarter, announcing to the NBA that you might not like it, but  they are the team to beat because when it comes down to it, they can turn it on.

First Quarter

Both teams started the game by feeling each other out. Instead of one team dominating, it felt more exploratory. It started out as a cleanly played game without mistakes. Jamal Murray and KCP hit corner threes, and OMG so did Jaden McDaniels, proving once again a rando scores against us against all odds. Naz Reid picked up the Jokic turnover and had a nice slam. At 5 minutes left, Jokic hit a three, pulling Rudy Gobert into spaces he didn’t want to be. After a turnover, MPJ pulled up for a baby 15-footer that he made, and Twolves coach Finch called a timeout.

Ex-Nugget Monte Morris hit a couple threes, but Coach Malone left Jokic in the game to play with Peyton Watson, Christian Braun, Reggie Jackson and Justin Holiday until the last minute. The quarter ended with Minnesota leading 28-26. Twolves were 12 for 23 and the Nugs 11 for 23.  There were only two free throws in the quarter, one each missed by Pope and Jokic. The Nuggets finished the quarter with 8 fastbreak points to the Wolves’ 2, and Finch observed, “They’re playing with a sense of urgency in transition.” So much for any worries that the Twolves might want this one more than the defending champs did.

Second Quarter

Aaron Gordon started the quarter playing center, the tried-and-true Malone move in big games. But it was PSwat bringing the defensive energy, stuffing SloMo at the rim, somehow. Holiday hit a nice 3 from the quarter at 10:25. Watson made another spectacular block at 9:31 on SloMo and got hit with a foul, bad call that put Minnesota on the free-throw line for the first time in the game. SloMo will be seeing PSwat in his nightmares.

Advertisement

Gordon, with new suction cup hickeys on his shoulders, turned the ball over. Rusty, perhaps. The Wolves went on a 6-point run to make it 36-33. A low score looming. The Nuggets bench offense was incompetent, Jackson just 1-6 shooting in desperate iso moves, forcing Malone to sub Jokic back in with 7:20 to go. The Nuggets offense with the starters stalled. The Nuggets fumbled the ball around for five turnovers that gave the Wolves a 10-nothing run over 4:30 minutes. Murray stopped the pain with a 3-pointer. The Wolves finished the quarter playing good defense, capitalizing on their length and stuffing the Nugs. SloMo guarded Jokic and Gobert played volleyball on the back line. That’s the classic Jokic defense if our shooters aren’t hitting off his passes. Score 52-49, Minny, and only seven free throws between the two teams, a sure sign of a shortage of aggression.

Third Quarter

Edwards and Murray traded in-your-face threes. And finally the Jokic Gordon alley oop play hit to light up the Ball Arena crowd. Anthony Edwards showed that he’s too strong for KCP, bullying him in the paint. Edwards made two on the foul call. Conley’s threes continued, annoyingly. At around 7 minutes Denver made a push. Jokic got fouled but made the push shot off the Murray feed to make it 64-62 with 7:37 to go in the third. At about 6 minutes left, Naz Reid made a killer layup that hurt the Nuggets. The intensity of the game ramped up as the quarter ended. Jokic tied the game when he rolled into the paint, accepted a KCP pass, got submarined by SloMo and made the shot anyway. Joker finished the quarter with 32 points so far in the game, 15 in the quarter. Denver outscored MIN 34-28 during the quarter and took an 83-80 lead into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

Jokic took his well-deserved rest and the Nuggets seemed severely short, with Porter and Gordon the only bigs on the front line. Rudy was totally in the roaming mode, not what the Nugs wanted. At 9 minutes, PSwat got his fifth block of the game, and Braun blocked the putback right after that. A key Porter putback on a Gordon miss gave the Nuggets a 4-point lead, causing Finch to call timeout.

Jokic returned at 7:31 with the Nuggets up 91-87. The bench was plus-1 in the non-Jokic minutes during the quarter.  Denver worked the score to 93-87 and ran it up from there. Braun and Watson were beasts down the stretch, dunking at will, thrilling the Ball Arena crowd.

Advertisement

Conclusion

The Nuggets played all their starters. Clearly, they wanted this game. They got it. Any questions, NBA? Edwards minus 17 along with the rest of the Wolves starters with similar plus-minus numbers. This game, one that mattered, has to weigh on the minds of the Timberwolves players, organization and their fans. Nothing but respect for the team and its great and faithful fan base. But. Can the Wolves get it done when it matters? They have built a magnificent team. But there’s that Denver thing. That Jokic and Murray thing.





Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Minnesota

For Minnesota, warmer winters do not mean the end of snow

Published

9 hours ago

on

November 21, 2025

By

For Minnesota, warmer winters do not mean the end of snow


Winter has warmed more than 5 degrees since the 1970s, but that doesn’t mean less snow for the state. State climatologist Kenneth Blumenfeld explained the connection between an increase in snowfall and higher global temperatures on Climate Cast.



Source link

Continue Reading

Minnesota

South Central Workforce Council/Minnesota Valley Action Council and Southwest Private Industry Council Receives $500,000 Grant from Department of Employment and Economic Development – Radio Mankato

Published

1 day ago

on

November 20, 2025

By

South Central Workforce Council/Minnesota Valley Action Council and Southwest Private Industry Council Receives 0,000 Grant from Department of Employment and Economic Development – Radio Mankato


The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has awarded more than $4.8 million to 39 organizations to provide more than 4,000 young people with workforce development and training opportunities.

DEED’s Youth at Work Opportunity Grants Program serves youth of color and youth with disabilities who are economically disadvantaged or considered to be at-risk. Grantees will connect young people ages 14-to-24 with good-paying jobs in high-growth industries, taking a targeted approach for youth who face the largest systemic barriers.

“Youth development and job training is crucial to the wellbeing of our communities and our state’s economy,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “At DEED, we take pride in providing opportunities and assistance for some of our most vulnerable community members. Supporting the youth of today helps ensure Minnesota has a healthy and vibrant workforce tomorrow.”

“Across Minnesota, our Youth at Work partners are helping young people gain valuable skills and pursue economic stability,” said DEED Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development Marc Majors. “We’re proud that these grants will support the next generation in building a stronger and more resilient workforce.”

Advertisement

Youth at Work grantees are listed below (many organizations serve regions beyond the cities in which they are located):

Achieve Twin Cities, Minneapolis – $236,200

African Economic Development Solutions (AEDS), St. Paul – $120,000

African Immigrants Community Services, Minneapolis – $100,000

American Indian OIC, Minneapolis – $100,000

Advertisement

Anoka County Job Training Center, Blaine – $300,000

Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, Virginia – $100,000

Bi-County Community Action Programs, Inc., Bemidji – $100,000

Career Solutions, St. Cloud – $242,000

Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, Inc., Monticello – $300,000

Advertisement

City Academy High School, St. Paul – $100,000

City of Duluth Workforce Development, Duluth – $300,000

City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis – $1,350,000

City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation – Right Track, St. Paul – $1,350,000

Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio, St. Paul – $100,000

Advertisement

Elpis Enterprises, St. Paul – $156,000

Face to Face Health & Counseling Service, Inc., St. Paul – $100,000

Faribault Public Schools, Faribault – $190,000

Genesys Works Twin Cities, St. Paul – $200,000

Greater Bemidji/Minnesota Innovation Initiative, Bemidji – $200,000

Advertisement

Hennepin County Department of Workforce Development, Minneapolis – $300,000

Hired, Minneapolis – $200,000

Independent School District No. 625 (St. Paul Public Schools), St. Paul – $150,000

JET – Northeast Minnesota Office of Job Training, Virginia – $300,000

Karen Organization of Minnesota, Roseville – $100,000

Advertisement

MIGIZI Communications, Inc., Minneapolis – $142,000

Minnesota Training Partnership, St. Paul – $100,000

Port Authority of the City of Bloomington, Bloomington – $100,000

Project Legacy, Rochester – $100,000

Red Lake Band of Ojibwe, Redby– $200,000

Advertisement

Rural Minnesota CEP, Inc., Detroit Lakes – $200,000

RWDA 5 – South Central Workforce Council/Minnesota Valley Action Council and Southwest Private Industry Council, Mankato – $500,000

Sabathani Community Center, Minneapolis – $200,000

Smart North, Minneapolis – $200,000

Spark-Y: Youth Action Labs, Minneapolis – $200,000

Advertisement

The Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota, Morton – $150,000

Urban Boatbuilders, St. Paul– $100,000

Wildflyer Coffee, Minneapolis – $200,000

Workforce Development, Inc., Rochester – $200,000

Youthprise, St. Paul – $200,000

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Minnesota

Much colder with snow possible by Thanksgiving weekend

Published

2 days ago

on

November 19, 2025

By

Much colder with snow possible by Thanksgiving weekend


By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR’s or APMG entities’ programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending