Shaquille O’Neal discussed the ongoing series between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves and recently declared that things have now gotten much harder for the Timberwolves. To those who might not know, Minnesota defeated the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs within 4 games to secure their matchup against the Nuggets in the second round.
Although the Timberwolves had developed into a better team when compared to last year, none could have predicted that Anthony Edwards and company would win the first 2 games of this series in Denver and take a 2-0 lead. However, the Nuggets remained resilient and have now tied it at 2-2.
After the game had concluded, the former NBA star went on air with the other members of Inside the NBA and spoke about the Nuggets. Now that the context has been provided, a closer look at O’Neal’s stance may interest some fans.Shaquille O’Neal credits the Denver Nuggets for making a comeback
There have only been a few teams in NBA history to lose both their home games and turn things around to win their playoff series. The Nuggets appear eager to add their names to this list and made it clear that they will not crumble under pressure. By winning 2 games against Minnesota, Denver regains control of this series since they will now have homecourt advantage for Game 5 and a potential Game 7.
After the Timberwolves won the first 2 games of this series, many members of the NBA community believed that Minnesota would sweep Denver and win this series. After Game 4, Shaquille O’Neal shared his opinion indicating that the pressure and momentum had completely shifted in the Nuggets’ favor.
“They’re led by the Joker and Jamal Murray. Champions, you have to really put them away you know. At home, bad Game 1, you got embarrassed in Game 2 and it kinda woke them up and Reggis said it was probably the best thing that happened to them cuz now they’re awake and they’re playing like they’re working, everyone’s playing good. Minnesota has to try to get back to that same defensive intensity for 48 minutes…”
Shaq continued, “Because now, Denver’s awake. They know what’s at stake and they know what they have to do. So if Minnesota wants to stay in this, they’re gonna have to win the next game which is going to be tough because the champs are back and it’s hard to beat the champs.”Although it wold be an exaggeration to claim that being down 2-0 to any team is a good thing, it is certainly possible that the Nuggets are playing with a hungry and driven mentality in order to prevent their season from coming to an end. As this series reaches its final stages, fans are left debating who will advance to the next round.
Game 5 is likely to decide the outcome of the Nuggets-Timberwolves series
When a series is tied at 2-2 and heading into Game 5, the winner of this pivotal game will be favored to win the series. After all, they will have 2 games to secure a 4th win and move on to the next round. Since the Timberwolves have surprisingly done well while playing in Denver, one could argue that they should be favored to win Game 5.
However, it is also possible that the Nuggets have finally understood how to play against the Timberwolves and dominate them. Fans are left wondering who will win this intense matchup and get one step closer to winning an NBA championship this season.