Timberwolves deliver defensive masterclass and dismantle Nuggets in Game 2

The Timberwolves put on a defensive masterclass.

And they made the Denver Nuggets look lost and frustrated all night. It led to an outburst from Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who yelled in official Mark Davis’ face during the first quarter. Jamal Murray threw a heat pack on the field during the second quarter. And Aaron Gordon was called a technical foul during a timeout in the third quarter.

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, were shooting head-to-head.

Minnesota controlled from start to finish in a 106-80 dismantling of the Nuggets in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series Monday night in Denver. The Wolves take a 2-0 lead in the series back to Minneapolis with Game 3 at Target Center on Friday.

“We were embarrassed in front of our fans,” Malone said.

The Timberwolves still haven’t lost in these playoffs.

Monday night it all started on the defensive end, where every defensive possession was a work of art. The backup defense was always there. Sometimes they locked Nuggets guards in the corner. The switching was seamless and there were always three or four bodies crashing the ball into the paint.

Perhaps no stretch was better than when the Timberwolves held the Nuggets scoreless for three minutes and 40 seconds in the second quarter while building what would ultimately become an insurmountable lead. The Wolves had a 61-35 lead at halftime.

And perhaps more impressive than anything was that the Timberwolves managed to put on the defensive clinic without their defensive anchor and Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner in Rudy Gobert, who missed the game due to the birth of his son, his first child .

Regardless, the Timberwolves were able to freeze, frustrate and confuse the Nuggets defensively from start to finish. Everyone contributed as they collected 12 blocks and 11 steals.

“We’ve had some really, really good defensive efforts this year, but that has to measure up to the best,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told reporters after the game.

Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points. The Timberwolves held Nikola Jokic to just 16 points, though he did have 16 rebounds and eight assists. Murray had just eight points on 3-for-18 shooting.

The only negative of the evening was Monte Morris leaving the match and being ruled out shortly afterwards due to a right index finger sprain. It was not immediately clear what the severity of the injury was, but the Wolves were well in control of the game by then. It will be something to keep an eye on in the future.

Kyle Anderson started in place of Gobert and had a great performance, finishing his night with six points, nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block.

Offensively, Karl-Anthony Towns came out strong with 11 points in the first quarter and finished his night with 27 points and 12 rebounds. It wasn’t another 40 piece, but Anthony Edwards didn’t need one. He was incredibly efficient with 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting, while also notching seven assists.

Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid put in perhaps the best defensive performance of his career, and he didn’t lose his attacking spark off the bench. He finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four blocks. In addition to providing a suffocating perimeter defense, Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 14 points and six rebounds off the bench. Alexander-Walker also had three blocks.

A statement game is almost an understatement considering the dismantling the Timberwolves have done of the defending champion Nuggets, especially considering they did it without Gobert, who has been the team’s consistent model. It was truly a stunning, spectacular performance.

Honestly, it was the kind of game that makes you think about the heights this Timberwolves team can reach. If they continue to play with the defensiveness, aggressiveness and hunger they played with Monday night, there may not be a team that can stop them.