Wolves bring 2-0 lead on Nuggets into wild night at Target Center. Knicks, up 2-0, brace for Pacers
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have been the surprise hit of the NBA playoffs, winning their first six games behind a dominant defense, clutch performances from superstar Anthony Edwards and enviable depth to fuel a relentless approach.
They did the hard part by taking the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal series in Denver from the defending champion Nuggets in commanding fashion. Now they get to take the court in front of their own crowd. Game 3 is on Friday night, a late tipoff that will only intensify the atmosphere inside the success-deprived arena.
“The fans have been great all year,” KarlAnthony Towns said after practice on Thursday. “I’ve said it before: They have this place jumping like Prince is back.”
Having completed their first-round sweep of Phoenix with two wins on the road, the Timberwolves have not played at Target Center since April 23, a span of 17 days between home games. The team has partnered with 11 downtown bars to host watch parties. Ticket prices on the secondary market were starting in the $250 range for single seats near the rafters, as of Thursday afternoon.
Just about the buzz to be expected around a franchise that has not only never won an NBA title, but advanced past the first round only once in the 34 seasons prior to this.
“The city is on fire. People are super excited about this team,” coach Chris Finch said. “It’s a team that’s easy to root for because of the way they play. They play hard. They share the ball. I think we have a lot of good guys who play with a lot of personality.”
In the history of the NBA playoffs, including the Nuggets, 30 teams have lost the first two games at home in a best-ofseven series, according to Sportradar research. Only five of them came back to win, with the Los Angeles Clippers the most recent in a 2021 first-round rally past Dallas.
The Nuggets are confident they can be the sixth. But they'll have to find a way to start fast, minimize the crowd noise and avoid the uncharacteristic frustration they wore throughout their 106-80 loss in Game 2. Point guard Jamal Murray, who has just 25 points in the series on 9-for-32 shooting, was fined $100,000 for throwing a heat pack onto the court.
“Even if we do lose the first quarter,” Murray said, "just the intent, the energy, the focus to get it done I think is big.”
The New York Knicks won't be as desperate when they take the floor in Indianapolis for Game 3 earlier in the evening. They've got a 2-0 lead on the Pacers, who, if they weren't as flustered in Game 2 as the Nuggets were on their home floor, are carrying some discouragement of their own. Coach Rick Carlisle voiced their displeasure with the officiating after the 130-121 loss in New York.
“They smashed us on the boards again,” guard T.J. McConnell said, "and brought more energy than we did so we have to fix that.”