The Minnesota Timberwolves just dismantled the defending champions Denver Nuggets. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns led the Wolves to a 106-80 win. It is not every day that we see Nikola Jokic and Co. lose by a 26-point margin, especially in the playoffs. They formed a formidable team in the last few years, and have beat some strong teams along the way. But it looks like the Wolves could be their nightmare, as has been the case in the last two games.
The Nuggets’ shooting was surely subpar, as they have gone 29-83. That’s only a 34.9% success rate, which is an abysmal stat for a defending champion and a team of the Nuggets’ caliber. Their three-point shooting has not been great as well. They made only 9 out of the 30 shots they took from behind the three-point line.
MVP chants for Anthony Edwards in Denver. 🔥
(via @BenGolliver)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 7, 2024
Thanks to the Wolves’ performances, especially from Edwards and KAT, there have been some chants from fans who have been making waves on social media. The Denver crowd was seen chanting “MVP” in favor of Ant-Man, who has been sensational for the Wolves so far this season.
“Wolves in 4.”
The chant in Denver during last seconds of the game 😳 pic.twitter.com/MrstSqSq72
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 7, 2024
That’s not the only chant that has been going viral. Fans have also been claiming that the Wolves could sweep the Nuggets in 4, which looks like a real possibility now. The Wolves defense has been elite so far this series, and the Nuggets have no answers as of now.
Anthony Edwards is having the playoff series of his life so far
Anthony Edwards has been sensational in the postseason this year. He made 27 points against the Nuggets in Game 2, after scoring 43 points in the first game. The young star played a pivotal role when the Wolves swept the Phoenix Suns in the last series as well.
ANTHONY EDWARDS IS UNREAL. 🥶
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 7, 2024
He is currently averaging 32.3 points in the playoffs this year, and he only seems to be getting better. The superstar’s specialty is his ability to explosively when driving to the rim. In addition to that, Edwards also thrives in the physicality department, and he isn’t a player who can be bodied off the ball easily.
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s double-double goes in vain vs Timberwolves
Nikola Jokic made 16 points and 16 rebounds against the Wolves, but his performance did not help the Nuggets one bit against the Wolves defense. Jamal Murray came off the Los Angeles Lakers series as one of the standout players in the playoffs, but he has been quiet against the Minnesota-based franchise.
Jokic is the only big man who can defend the Wolves, but he will need some backup. Rudy Gobert, KAT, and Naz Reid are three options in the paint for Jokic’s opponents. He jokingly mentioned after Game 1 that the Nuggets would have to clone him to defend the Wolves’ big men. They have several options to play small as well, Ant being the main one.
Naz Reid with solid defense on Nikola Jokic for the BLOCK 😤pic.twitter.com/vw1mHmMQcx
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 7, 2024
The Wolves certainly look like the favorites to win the series now, considering they hold a 2-0 lead. And it looks like they could finish the job in the coming games, judging from the way they have risen to the occasion, be it at home or on the road.