Anthony Edwards scored a career-high 43 points in the playoffs, Naz Reid had 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the defending champion Denver Nuggets 106-99 in Game 1 of the second round on Saturday night.
Edwards was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 25 points, and Reid took over in the fourth quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points despite foul trouble.
Game 2 is Monday night in Denver.
Three days later undergo knee surgeryTimberwolves coach Chris Finch sat on the second-row bench, next to the scorer’s table and behind assistant coach Micah Nori, who did the instructions, roaming and shifting.
Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for Denver, but also had seven turnovers. Jamal Murray scored 17 points after being held scoreless in the first half.
With the score tied at 84, the Timberwolves went on an 18-7 run to break the score open. Reid had 10 straight points for the Timberwolves at one point during the crucial stretch.
Last year, the Wolves were a tough first-round opponent for Denver despite being without Reid (broken wrist) and Jaden McDaniels (broken hand) and Karl-Anthony Towns dealing with a serious calf injury that cost him 52 games. This time, no Timberwolves players were listed on the injury report.
In addition to being healthier, the Timberwolves were much better thanks to the dramatic improvement in Edwards’ play, Denver coach Michael Malone suggested.
“There are no weaknesses in his game,” Malone said. “And it’s going to be quite a challenge to slow him down.”
