BULAN, Sorsogon — In an intense matchup, the Denver Nuggets evened the series by defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 115-107 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday, May 13.
Nikola Jokic displayed his clutch performance, scoring 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, while Aaron Gordon contributed significantly with 27 points on an impressive 11-for-12 shooting to lead the Denver Nuggets to a series-tying over Timberwolves.
Karl-Anthony Towns had a tough start, going 0-for-7 in the first quarter as the Denver Nuggets seized control of the game with a 14-2 run, ultimately taking a five-point lead.
Jamal Murray added 19 points, including 12 in the third quarter, building on the momentum from his buzzer-beating swish in the previous game.
“Game 2 definitely woke us up. We realized we can’t hold ourselves back,” Murray said.
For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards showcased a spectacular 44-point performance, setting a franchise postseason record, shooting 16 for 25 and going 5-of-8 from three.
Mike Conley contributed 15 points to the Timberwolves’ effort, Karl-Anthony Towns’ double-double performance of 13 points and 12 rebounds on a 5-for-18 shooting, and Rudy Gobert’s late surge with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
The Timberwolves still struggled to keep up with the Nuggets for the second consecutive game on their home court.
“This is a series. We won two games, but we didn’t think it was going to be easy,” said Edwards.
The Timberwolves displayed their strong defense in the series, but the Nuggets matched them on the road, displaying their defensive prowess and depth.
The series now heads back to Denver for Game 5, with both teams prepared for another intense battle as they vie for a crucial advantage in the series.
“We took a hit, and we bounced back and hopefully we can defend the home court now,” said Jokic, looking forward to game five of the best-of-seven series.