Live from Game 2: Wolves maintain huge lead after three quarters
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The Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets meet tonight in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference semifinal playoff series. The Wolves won the opener on Saturday night. Staff writer Chris Hine provides live updates from Ball Arena:
10:52: Denver "cuts" the Wolves lead to 22 points after three
The Timberwolves led by as much as 32 but they allowed Denver a sliver of life at the end of the third quarter ... and still led 82-60 entering the fourth.
Denver closed the quarter on a 14-4 run.
The Wolves got into some foul trouble when Jaden McDaniels picked up his fourth early in the quarter. But Nickeil Alexander-Walker came in and helped limit Jamal Murray, who tried to get going in the third.
But Murray was 3-for-15 with four turnovers through three quarters.
The Wolves missed a lot of looks in the third and were just 9-for-24 from the field in the third.
Karl-Anthony Towns has 22 and Anthony Edwards 20 for the Wolves.
10:04 p.m.: This is zany! Wolves can do no wrong, lead 61-35 at halftime
The Timberwolves defense, even without Rudy Gobert, put on a clinic against the Nuggets in the second quarter, and the Wolves lead 61-35 at halftime.
The Wolves have made like miserable for Jamal Murray, who is just 1-for-10 on the night for two points. Denver was just 14-for-43 in the first half with 11 turnovers. Nikola Jokic was 3-for-8 for eight points and seven assists.
Meanwhile, the Wolves are finding looks on the offensive end of the floor with ease. At first, Karl-Anthony Towns got them going early as he scored 20 first-half points, 11 off the bench. Then Anthony Edwards started to assert himself in the second quarter with 12 of his 16 first-half points. Naz Reid hit three threes off the bench for nine points while Nickeil Alexander-Walker added eight points.
The Wolves have mixed up their coverages all half and have not let the Nuggets get going from the perimeter. Denver is 4-for-14 from three-point range.
The crowd has expressed frustration with the officiating many times, as has Murray. Footage also began circulating around the internet of Murray, who was on the bench, throwing a white object onto the floor while play was happening.
9:30 p.m.: Timberwolves lead 28-20 after one quarter
The referees allowed plenty of contact in the first quarter, and the Wolves led 28-20.
They began the night with Karl-Anthony Towns guarding Nikoa Jokic one-on-one and Towns got off to a good start offensively with nine of the Wolves' first 13 points.
The Wolves were ahead 22-17 when Denver called timeout and coach Michael Malone went all the way across the court to yell at referee Marc Davis. Malone had to be separated from Davis and even put a finger in the referee's face without a technical foul.
Aaron Gordon had 13 points in the quarter for the Nuggets but the Wolves held Jokic to just four points and held Jamal Murray scoreless.
Every Wolves player who played in the first quarter had a bucket except for point guard Mike Conley. Monte Morris was the eighth member of the Wolves rotation with Rudy Gobert out.
8:30 p.m.: Kyle Anderson will start in Rudy Gobert's place
The big story of the afternoon was that Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who is expected to named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year tomorrow, will miss tonight's game.
Gobert was in the Twin Cities for the birth of his child and the team thought about getting him back to Ball Arena for Game 2. There were flight disruptions because of the wind in Colorado, and the return never materialized.
Kyle Anderson will start in place of Gobert alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and point guard Mike Conley.
The Nuggets have to hope the absence of Gobert will help star center Nikola Jokic avoid double teams. Jokic is expected to win his third NBA MVP award on Wednesday.
