Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves. Shape of the Teams
The Denver Nuggets host the Minnesota Timberwolves for game two after losing game one 106-99. The Nuggets will be looking to at least slow down the young Anthony Edwards, as he was completely dominant in the first game of the series. The kid absolutely torched the Nuggets, scoring 25 in the first half.
elite company. pic.twitter.com/lrCl6RJe0v
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 5, 2024
While everybody was paying attention to the conflict between Minnesota’s twin towers and Nikola Jokić, the matchups on the perimeter could very well determine this series. Edwards is too big for some of Denver’s quicker guards, but if you stick somebody like Michael Porter Jr. on him, he’ll get blown by on every single possession – it’s a nightmare.
On the upside for Nuggets fans, it was only game one, and Jokić seems to be firing on all cylinders, meaning the squad is still in good hands. As long as the big Serb continues to hit his shots, command the floor, and slow down both Kat and Gobert, the Nuggets are in a great spot.
TOUGH bucket 🃏 pic.twitter.com/ae6QP84WFm
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 5, 2024
There’s a reason that the Nuggets are still the heavy favourites going into game two, even with the L in game one.
Game two is going to be interesting, as it should set the pace for the rest of the series.
Odds via Tonybet
| Nuggets vs Timberwolves | May 6, 10:00 p.m EDT |
| Denver Nuggets odds | -233 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves odds | +185 |
| Denver Nuggets spread -3.5 | -154 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves spread +3.5 | +125 |
With all of that being said, we have to give a slight edge to the home team, the Denver Nuggets. Anthony Edwards has definitely been going on a tear throughout the playoffs thus far, but we still have a ton of trust in Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and MPJ. As a whole team, the Nuggets still seem slightly better.
However, the Timberwolves will not be easy to beat in a seven-game series. KAT and Gobert have both shown their ability to play in crunch time and having two 7-footers clogging the paint will make finishing at the rim hard no matter who you are.
While the two big men crash the boards and cause issues for opposing defences, Edwards has free reign to shoot and drive to the basket. If you overcommit, he’ll dump it to a big man, but you can’t just give him a free lane to the basket.
DROPPED A 43-PIECE ON THE DEFENDING CHAMPS. 🐜 pic.twitter.com/cSnQ3A8AQY
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 5, 2024
The only issue the Timberwolves have been running into is their lack of scoring outside of KAT and Edwards. When they’re not on the court, the offence slows down to a crawl.
That is all to say, game two of this series should be a great one to watch, likely going back and forth until the fourth quarter. As long as the Nuggets don’t get pulled away from in the third, they should have a great shot at walking away with the win.
Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction
- Pick: Denver Nuggets -3.5
- Odds: -159 (Tonybet)
It’s hard to bet against the reigning champions, regardless of the sport, and the Nuggets have managed to make it to the 2024 playoffs in great shape. Jokić has been on fire as always, while Murray and MPJ have each been averaging close to a double-double.
Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s numbers could be a little bit better in an ideal world, but at least Gordon is pulling down 8.7 rebounds a night so far in the playoffs.
On the Timberwolves’ side of things, they still have their big men dominating the paint on both sides of the ball, while Edwards and Naz Reid have been great on the perimeter. Ried, in particular, has been great for the bench unit, bringing a ton of energy.
The only issue is that without Edward’s lights-out scoring, the Timberwolves are seriously lacking in the points department. Towns is only putting up 19.4 a night, while the third leading scorer, Gobert, is only dropping 13.2 a game so far in the playoffs. If Edwards has a bad game, Minnesota has no scoring.
Making things even worse for Minnesota, Jokić’s game isn’t really affected by the style of defence implemented by coach Chris Finch. He is still able to get his Sombor Shuffle off, has been finishing at a high percentage at the rim, and continues to shoot well from beyond the arch.
Spin zone 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/J6qmnvXiGF
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 5, 2024
Adding insult to injury, Gobert is almost completely unable to close out effectively beyond the key, jumping at almost every pump fake, This gives Jokić plenty of space to hit an easy jumper.
All in all, we have to give the game to the Denver Nuggets. With a flat-out better roster and some great play so far in playoffs, the Nuggets really have nothing to worry about after the disappointing game one.
As long as the Nuggets play their game, they are still one of the front runners for the 2024 NBA championship.
Jelly https://t.co/SG3h6Dg9hh pic.twitter.com/GF6ERf5iuo
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 5, 2024
As long as Denver finds a way to at least slow down Edward’s the Minnesota offence will completely stagnate.
Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Player Pick
- Pick: Aaron Gordon to score over 12.5
- Odds: -111 (Tonybet)
While Aaron Gordon has taken more of a backseat so far in the playoffs, seeing him score over 12.5 points wouldn’t be a stretch by any means.
Throughout his time in the NBA, Gordon has gotten a reputation for being a high-flying slasher, and while the two big guys may provide some resistance, he should be able to make it to the bucket.
Gordon may not lay down many posters on Gobert, but a few quick pump fakes and some decent shooting would go a long way.
Furthermore, with Edwards sitting on Murray’s hip, Gordon should be freed up for some easy corner threes.
As long as Gordon doesn’t shy away from the basket and continues to use his dominant size on the wing, dropping 12.5 or more points isn’t entirely unlikely.
Disclaimer: Odds are accurate at the time of posting and subject to change. Please verify the latest odds on our platform before betting.
