Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets showed their resilience and championship pedigree with a commanding 117-90 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Friday night.
After dropping the first two games at home, the Nuggets came out with a renewed intensity in Minneapolis. They seized control early, closing out the first quarter with a 12-4 run to establish an eight-point lead—their largest advantage of the series up to that point.
Denver’s dominance only grew from there. The Nuggets erupted with a 17-5 run to start the second quarter, pushing their lead to 20 points after a Christian Braun 3-pointer. The Timberwolves struggled to respond, and by halftime, the Nuggets held a commanding 15-point advantage while limiting Minnesota to just 21 points in the second quarter.
Jamal Murray, bouncing back from a tough Game 2 performance and subsequent league fine, ignited the Nuggets with 18 of his 24 points in the first half. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokić narrowly missed a triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists, leading the charge for Denver.
The Nuggets extended their lead beyond 20 points early in the third quarter behind key contributions from Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr., who combined for three quick 3-pointers. Minnesota found themselves trailing by 27 points heading into the final period, and Denver cruised to a convincing 27-point victory.
Anthony Edwards paced the Timberwolves with 19 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 14 points. However, Minnesota struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 9 of 27 from 3-point range.
With the series now 2-1 in favor of the Timberwolves, Game 4 becomes pivotal for Minnesota, aiming to avoid a tie heading back to Denver. The Nuggets, fueled by their Game 3 statement win, have shown they are not to be underestimated as they seek to level the series in Sunday’s showdown.
