**ESPN:** [recap](https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401541183) – [boxscore](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401541183) – [gamecast](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401541183) | **NBA.com:** [boxscore](https://www.nba.com/game/0042200144) – [shotchart](https://www.nba.com/game/0042200144/game-charts)
||**Q1**|**Q2**|**Q3**|**Q4**|**OT1**|**Final**||
|:—|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|
**DEN**|**22**|**30**|**22**|**22**|**12**|**108**|[](/DEN)|
**MIN**|**23**|**25**|**32**|**16**|**18**|**114**|[](/MIN)|
**Team**|**FG**|**3PT**|**FT**|**OR**|**Reb**|**Ast**|**TO**|**Stl**|**Blk**|**PF**|**Pts**|
|:—|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|
[](/DEN)**DEN**|**42-94 (44.7)**|**12-34 (35.3)**|**12-18 (66.7)**|**10**|**47**|**20**|**11**|**6**|**5**|**23**|**108**|
[](/MIN)**MIN**|**42-93 (45.2)**|**13-34 (38.2)**|**17-22 (77.3)**|**14**|**51**|**23**|**11**|**6**|**6**|**19**|**114**|
**[](/DEN)DEN**|**Min**|**FG**|**3PT**|**FT**|**OR**|**Reb**|**Ast**|**TO**|**Stl**|**Blk**|**PF**|**Pts**|**+/-**|
|:—|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|
M. Porter Jr.^^SF|41:14|6-12 (50.0)|2-6 (33.3)|1-2 (50.0)|0|5|2|0|0|2|2|15|-8|
A. Gordon^^PF|42:42|6-12 (50.0)|1-3 (33.3)|1-1 (100.0)|5|7|2|1|0|1|6|14|+2|
N. Jokic^^C|39:08|15-26 (57.7)|5-8 (62.5)|8-12 (66.7)|2|11|6|4|2|0|3|43|-14|
K. Caldwell-Pope^^SG|39:40|2-7 (28.6)|1-4 (25.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0|3|2|1|2|1|2|5|-4|
J. Murray^^PG|40:46|8-21 (38.1)|2-7 (28.6)|1-1 (100.0)|1|7|5|3|0|0|1|19|-3|
B. Brown|25:59|5-12 (41.7)|1-4 (25.0)|0-0 (0.0)|1|6|0|1|2|0|3|11|-8|
J. Green|18:23|0-3 (0.0)|0-2 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0|2|2|1|0|1|4|0|+3|
C. Braun|13:01|0-1 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|1|2|1|0|0|0|2|0|-4|
D. Jordan|4:05|0-0 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|1-2 (50.0)|0|4|0|0|0|0|0|1|+6|
**Totals**||**42-94 (44.7)**|**12-34 (35.3)**|**12-18 (66.7)**|**10**|**47**|**20**|**11**|**6**|**5**|**23**|**108**||
**DNP:** ***Thomas Bryant***, ***Vlatko Cancar***, ***Reggie Jackson***, ***Zeke Nnaji***, ***Ish Smith***, ***Peyton Watson***
**Inactive:**
**[](/MIN)MIN**|**Min**|**FG**|**3PT**|**FT**|**OR**|**Reb**|**Ast**|**TO**|**Stl**|**Blk**|**PF**|**Pts**|**+/-**|
|:—|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|—:|
N. Alexander-Walker^^SF|37:57|3-7 (42.9)|2-5 (40.0)|0-0 (0.0)|1|4|1|2|1|0|1|8|+4|
K. Towns^^PF|36:18|5-9 (55.6)|0-2 (0.0)|7-10 (70.0)|2|11|2|2|1|1|6|17|-7|
R. Gobert^^C|39:20|7-14 (50.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|5|15|1|1|0|2|4|14|+6|
A. Edwards^^SG|45:22|12-27 (44.4)|5-12 (41.7)|5-6 (83.3)|1|6|5|2|2|2|1|34|+7|
M. Conley^^PG|42:36|7-13 (53.8)|3-7 (42.9)|2-2 (100.0)|0|2|8|1|0|0|4|19|+7|
K. Anderson|22:07|5-7 (71.4)|1-2 (50.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0|6|5|2|2|1|3|11|+8|
T. Prince|23:20|1-8 (12.5)|1-3 (33.3)|3-4 (75.0)|2|3|0|1|0|0|0|6|+4|
J. McLaughlin|3:48|0-1 (0.0)|0-1 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0|0|1|0|0|0|0|0|-3|
J. Nowell|3:38|0-4 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0-0 (0.0)|3|3|0|0|0|0|0|0|-4|
A. Rivers|10:32|2-3 (66.7)|1-2 (50.0)|0-0 (0.0)|0|1|0|0|0|0|0|5|+8|
**Totals**||**42-93 (45.2)**|**13-34 (38.2)**|**17-22 (77.3)**|**14**|**51**|**23**|**11**|**6**|**6**|**19**|**114**||
**DNP:** ***Nathan Knight***, ***Josh Minott***, ***Wendell Moore Jr.***
**Inactive:** ***Jaden McDaniels***, ***Naz Reid***
||**PITP**|**2^^nd PTS**|**FB PTS**|**BIG LD**|**BEN PTS**|**TOT TOV**|**TOV PTS**||
|:—|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|
**DEN**|54|7|14|9|12|12|22|[](/DEN)|
**MIN**|54|11|10|12|22|12|17|[](/MIN)|
**Lead Changes: 14** | **Times Tied: 12** | **Gametime: 2:45** | **Attendance: 18978**
*Officials: Bill Kennedy, David Guthrie, Ray Acosta, Natalie Sago*
by BigHoneyBot
30 Comments
Anyone watching the Nuggets the past couple of months could have told you free throw shooting would cost us a game this playoffs. 66% will do that to you, especially when the refs for whatever reason are giving Minnesota an extremely favorable whistle through 4 games. Nuggets were extremely cold for much of the game, while Minnesota role players stepped up and hit big shot after big shot. Gotta close this out Tuesday, hopefully with a 20+ point win.
Well there goes our rest advantage against the Suns. We’ll have our work cut out finishing this off too because we’re back in coast mode
Still can’t believe Conley’s bank 3 pointer. Lucky af man.
I ain’t seen the refs go that crazy since the 6ers last won, what a good game, get fucked Nuggies we Zibbies balling tf out
Edit: tell me what to put on my white tee
I know it’s my superstition, but I personally blame all the lame ass sweep posts today
Oh ffs I wish you guys closed it out
Here’s hoping the Minnesota front office saw enough positive signs in that game to convince them they should just run it back next year lol
Losing a game isn’t a big deal but maaan finishing them off with that run at the end would’ve been sweeeeet
That’s what happens when you play a super short rotation with 8 players, one of whom is a washed-up 37-year-old veteran who you keep for 20+ minutes. It is unsustainable. Denver will pass Minnesota, probably. But if Malone thinks he’s taking the ring with an 8-player rotation, one of whom is a washed-up veteran, then he’s insanely delusional. Can anyone with 2 grams of brain imagine Denver playing 20-25 games for a ring with an 8 player rotation and Jeff 20 minutes at a time. That’s incredibly stupid. Malone is good for some things but unfortunately if he continues with Jeff he will get fired. There is no way Denver gets past Phoenix with this rotation. Let alone super athletic Boston. So i lowered my expectations when i saw Jeff and Jordan in the playoffs. So easily he gave up the young players Zeke and Vlatko, even Peyton and the young athletics that brought him to the first place is crazy and very stupid.
I would like to be wrong, but i don’t think Malone will be the coach anymore in about 20 days, unfortunately. The man survived Barton for 30+ minutes, illusions like this will cost him dearly.
You can’t play super run and gun ultra fast modern basketball with such a slow roster of 8 players (Jokic, Porter and Jeff) and have illusions that you will win a ring against super athletic teams?????
It is neither physically, nor mentally, nor in terms of speed, nor sustainable in any way. The worst thing about playing Jeff for 20+ minutes is that Malone takes away a lot of other options from the team. He’s burying the team in the mud with washed-up veterans like he buried 2019 with Barton’s passage to the WCF.
I can’t tell if the refs want to let them play violent, physical basketball, or not. Like it’s not even tilted to one team (tonight) it’s just…random? Like they spin a wheel to determine what fouls to call.
That Aaron Gordon dunk that got called back was some BS
Really needed more MPJ looks. Went to the 2 man game which is great but when Jamal ain’t have it that’s when looks need to be made for MPJ. Ant is literally their whole fucking offense. For the love of God put CB on him to disrupt him. No one else on that team can do Jack shit
For fans who are also Avs fans…
This is almost identical to game 5 of the Blues series last year. Insane play(s) at the end give you ALL the momentum with a chance to stomp on the throat in an elimination game and you just can’t do it.
At least despite the loss Jokic is back on the menu?
Winning in 5 is still impressive and the Nuggets will win in five, but people aren’t dooming when they get mad about this game. Playing lazy and taking your foot off the gas like this won’t work against the top end teams. The wolfs shouldn’t be in the playoffs, they aren’t a good team. But teams like the suns and Celtics aren’t gonna fuck around like the wolfs do. We want a championship this season, the Nuggets can’t blink, they have to give max effort the entire game to win. Games like this show the bad habits that cost team’s championships. And for any mother fucker who thinks that’s dooming, this franchise has exactly ZERO championships. If this squad lets bad habits like this hang around that number won’t change.
Jesus y’all are so dramatic. The only first round sweep was against the Nets who only made the playoffs bc of players that aren’t on their team anymore. It took nickeil alexander-walker going god mode for the Wolves to win 1 game in OT. Obviously would have loved a sweep but we’re fine.
Lose your shit if you want to, but that game was fun.
If Jamal doesn’t have an atrocious game we win today and even then it took 3 of the luckiest 3s for them to win it lol Also, Jamal went back to his old self today he took too many shots while not being hot he should of went for 10 assists instead. Oh well its over tuesday
We played like garbage so blaming the refs is lame, but I am sick of hearing about this “playoff whistle”, the calls have been even softer these playoffs
I don’t understand why we didn’t double Ant on that last possession. You know it’s him shooting, especially with the KAT on the bench.
Can’t believe that bank in 3 was the difference lol. Must be pay back for Conley missing that game 7 three
Love the Nuggets with all my heart. But to be honest I don’t trust them.
This is what a Broncos fan in the 90s must of felt like.
This is gonna be too stupid to even believe but when the Wolves went up 10 with like 3 minutes left I put $10,000 on them to win the game. The money line was 1.02. I was basically telling myself its a guaranteed $200. A little nervous placing the bet still but nonetheless feeling good about it.
Ant hits that fadeaway to bring it to 12 and I’m buzzing, feeling great “yeah, knew it was a good move. easy $200. awesome”
What happened in the next 2 minutes, I shit you not, nearly threw me into an existential depression. I literally could not believe what I was seeing and my heart was POUNDING. A part of me literally went numb… I couldn’t even process losing $10,000 in such a fashion in literally 5 minutes..
As soon as they got it to within 3, I had mentally succumbed and starting forcing myself to accept the loss and move on from it because I knew they were going to close it out.
That Ant 3 at the literally pumped life into my soulless body… I can’t believe I made it out alive. Im in literal disbelief.
I know MPJ doesn’t get any touches in crucial moments since they rely on the Jokic/Murray 2 man game but it’d be nice if they’d stop using him as a decoy. Bro looked dejected standing there cause he knew it wasn’t coming to him.
For everyone on here saying that MPJ didn’t get enough touches in crunch time
That’s just the reality of this team I’m not necessarily a fan of it either but I have come to accept it bc essentially coaches don’t run any specific plays outside of having Jokic and Mal dictate what happens out of their two man game it’s been like that all year long and obv wasn’t just gonna change now – again not saying all this to try to refute the idea that MPJ should’ve been more involved just trying to express how it’s not rly realistic to expect things to significantly change/improve going forward given how the nuggets late game offense essentially comprises Murray/Jokic two man game and assists to AG for easy buckets or corner shooters when the defense collapses to try to stop Murray/Jokic when they attack the basket
I do wish they would prioritize finding MPJ some more shots even if he does not have it, there is a always a chance that he catches fire Having only 10 shots until the last 2 minutes of the regular time seems way too little.
Gentleman’s sweep it is
We need to see some Peyton Watson minutes over Jeff Green, and we need Jamal to perform at least his average.
My only worry is that this game will live in their heads rent free and they completely flop. I guess that’s just another test for this team, to prove they’re championship caliber.
I’m gonna offer a take
Zeke
It was always going to be a tough game. It took insane shooting and pretty much all of our starters, minus Jokic, to have a bad game for the Wolves to win in OT. Would’ve been nice to close it out but we will blow them out Tuesday.