Minnesota, driven to the edge of the cliff, won the first victory in a counterattack.
The Minnesota Timberwolves won 114-108 in Game 4 of the first round of the 2023 NBA Western Conference Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets held at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA on the 24th (Korean time).
Minnesota reported one win after three straight losses. Anthony Edwards (34 points, 5 3-pointers, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocked shots) showed firepower, and Karl Anthony Towns (17 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists) and Rudy Gobert (14 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocked shots) had a double. wrote a double.
On the other hand, Denver tried to sweep with Nikola Jokic (43 points, 5 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals), but swallowed regret due to lack of back heart.
A tight match unfolded from the beginning. Minnesota took the lead by tying Edwards’ 3-point shot and Towns’ dunk, but failed to contain Jokichi after the middle of the first quarter, providing an excuse for pursuit. Minnesota even allowed Murray to score a come-from-behind goal at the end of the first quarter, but Gobert and Jordan McLaughlin combined for an alley-oop score to finish the first quarter 23-22.
Minnesota faced a crisis in the second quarter. With Edwards only scoring 3 points, he gave up the lead again with 13 rebounds. At the end of the second quarter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon even allowed 3-pointers to lose momentum. At the end of the second quarter, the score was 48-52.
Minnesota, which continued to pursue a close game until the middle of the third quarter, regained its flow at the end of the third quarter. Edwards scored 5 points in a row with a 3-point shot and breakthrough, and Minnesota succeeded in reversing the game. Afterwards, Gobert also scored consecutively from the bottom of the goal. Minnesota ended the third quarter with a 80-74 lead by adding Austin Rivers’ surprise 3-pointer. 안전놀이터
Minnesota, which continued its momentum until the middle of the fourth quarter by adding veteran Mike Conley’s performance, faced a crisis afterward. Two minutes before the end of the fourth quarter, Edwards widened the gap to 12 points thanks to a mid-range shot, but after that, allowed 12 points in a row to tie the game. Minnesota went into overtime as the last attack using Edwards failed.
However, it was Minnesota that had a strong back-and-forth. Minnesota succeeded in reversing with Conley’s lucky 3-point shot, and Nickel Alexander Walker’s consecutive 3-point shots from the corner poured cold water on Denver. Afterwards, Minnesota, who continued to lead a narrow lead, widened the gap to 4 points with Edwards’ 3-point shot 11.5 seconds before the end of the game. It was the moment when Minnesota virtually seized the win.