Minnesota Timberwolves have opened the series incredibly well, and the hero was Anthony Edwards, leading them to win by 99:106.
The series, often considered a prelude to the NBA finals, gave us the first break in the very first matchup. The Minnesota Timberwolves showed that their four wins against the Phoenix Suns were no fluke and that they will punish any slip-ups from the Denver Nuggets.
The first half was fiercely contested from both sides. The visitors set an aggressive pace, with Anthony Edwards shining with 25 points in the first half. However, the Nuggets held a four-point lead after 24 minutes of play.
In the third quarter, the Minnesota Timberwolves were on the verge of faltering several times, while Nikola Jokic on the other side tried to pull his team ahead. Karl-Anthony Towns provided crucial support during those moments, and they managed to take a one-point lead in the final minutes of the third quarter.
The first part of the last quarter saw an even game, but the match swung in favor of the visiting team primarily due to their reserves, particularly Naz Reid, whose 15 points in the final quarter sealed the win. The Nuggets attempted a comeback, with Jokic hitting two consecutive shots, but time ran out, giving the Timberwolves the break.
The top scorer for the winning team was Anthony Edwards with 43 points, while Towns added 20. Reid finished with 16 points. On the other side, Jokic scored 32 points, Michael Porter Jr. contributed 20, and Jamal Murray scored 17 points.
The second match will be played on May 7th at 04:00.