Nuggets Roar Back in Game 3, Dominating Timberwolves Behind Murray and Jokic

With a brilliant 24-point performance, Jamal Murray put his doubters to rest and helped the Denver Nuggets defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-90 in Game 3. The victory, spurred by a flurry of 3-pointers and a commanding performance from Nikola Jokic, reduced the Timberwolves’ lead in the series to 2-1.

The three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, finished with nearly a triple-double: 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists. With his 21 points, Michael Porter Jr. helped the Nuggets shoot an incredible 14 for 29 from beyond the arc.

With 19 points, Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves, but their usually explosive offense faltered, shooting only 10 of 32 from beyond the arc. Karl-Anthony Towns was held to 14 points by the Nuggets defense, which also halted the Timberwolves’ offensive momentum.

The Nuggets, who are now 30th in NBA postseason history to lose the opening two games of a best-of-seven series at home, have made a tremendous turnaround with this win. Denver has hope going into Game 4 in Minneapolis, though, since history demonstrates that five teams have overcome this deficit to win the series.

Following a dismal beginning to the series, Murray came under heavy criticism, but he returned with a brilliant performance. Even though the home fans continued to jeer at him, he stayed composed and gave a powerful performance that silenced his critics.

The Nuggets’ performance and intensity were a complete contrast to that of their first two games. Their offense was more inventive and their defense was more forceful, which led to a landslide victory that changed the series’ direction.

The NBA’s top defense going into the series, the Timberwolves, found it difficult to stem the Nuggets’ offensive assault. Denver’s offense was not much slowed down by the return of NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

Game 4 of the series will now take place in Minneapolis, where the Timberwolves will try to get back on track and win home-court advantage. This series is far from over, though, as the Nuggets have shown that they are a tough foe.