Jamal Murray scored 24 factors and dished out eight assists in his first playoff sport for the reason that 2020 NBA bubble and the top-seeded Denver Nuggets routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-80 Sunday night time.
Nikola Jokic added 13 factors, 14 rebounds and a half dozen assists in 28 minutes and Michael Porter Jr. scored 18 factors as Denver snapped a five-game skid in playoff openers.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 18 factors. Karl-Anthony Cities, who was rounding into kind this month after lacking 52 video games with a foul calf, missed 10 of his first 12 photographs and completed with 11 factors.
The Timberwolves hadn’t been held to so few factors since Nov. 19, 2016.
Jokic mentioned through the Nuggets’ week off that he was desirous to see how they’d do do with Murray and Porter again within the lineup with him after accidents and surgical procedures waylaid Denver’s Huge Three every of the final two postseasons.
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Enterprise booming for Denver retailers, eating places forward of Avs and Nuggets playoffs
4:46 PM, Apr 16, 2023
The reply was emphatic: the trio mixed for 55 factors, 33 rebounds and 16 assists — with simply two mixed turnovers — as all 5 of Denver’s starters scored in double figures as did reserve Bruce Brown, who chipped in 14.
The Nuggets have been the one considered one of 4 residence groups to win Sunday because the Bucks, Grizzlies and Suns all surrendered homecourt benefit to decrease seeds within the first spherical.
The opener marked Murray’s first playoff look since his breakout efficiency within the 2020 NBA bubble, when he twice put up 50 factors on the Jazz in serving to the Nuggets attain the Western Convention Finals the place they misplaced to LeBron James and the Lakers. Murray tore his left ACL eight months later and missed the Nuggets’ final two playoff runs.
“It’s sort of wild to assume it’s been that lengthy,” Denver coach Michael Malone mentioned earlier than tip-off. “I’m simply so completely satisfied for him, happy with him. It has not been a simple journey for him, however I believe this yr, we’ve seen Jamal have moments the place that’s the Jamal Murray that all of us love and bear in mind.
“I believe he’s simply actually excited to get again on the market, play, and remind folks of what he’s able to. We all know how essential he’s to us. I’m simply very, very grateful that, we as a workforce, are wholesome going into the postseason.”
That features Porter, who sat out a yr in the past following again surgical procedure.
The Timberwolves have been with out beginning ahead Jaden McDaniels, their greatest perimeter defender, who broke his proper hand punching a wall in Minnesota’s last common season sport.
SPICY NUGGETS
Malone mentioned earlier than tip-off he anticipated some chippiness within the collection: “I do not thoughts spicy. That is the playoffs. This is not like common season video games.”
He bought simply that within the third quarter when rookie Christian Braun bought right into a tussle with Kyle Anderson after Anderson’s flagrant foul. As teammates rushed into the fray, Murray pointed to the scoreboard, which learn: Nuggets 83, Timberwolves 58.
HIGH PRAISE It’s no shock Timberwolves basketball boss Tim Connelly spoke so glowingly concerning the Nuggets, whose nucleus he helped assemble earlier than being lured away by the T-Wolves 11 months in the past.
“Michael Malone is a improbable head coach. The employees is filled with future head coaches,” Connelly mentioned on the morning shootaround. “Clearly, Nikola, greatest participant on this planet. … From A-to-Z, a first-class group, nice possession.”
Connelly shared intel on Jokic and his teammates with Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, who mentioned, “his background on this — very, very useful.”
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Minnesota surrendered the primary eight factors of the sport and the primary 9 factors after halftime. The Wolves fought again to take a 17-16 lead within the first quarter however there was no related comeback within the third.
Nuggets: Denver outscored Minnesota 32-14 within the third quarter to construct an 87-58 lead. … Jokic was despatched again into the sport with the Nuggets forward by 30 with 7:46 left within the fourth and picked up a flagrant foul, his fifth, on the 6:50 mark when he elbowed Anthony Edwards within the face. He fouled out 13 seconds later.
UP NEXT
Sport 2 is Wednesday night time in Denver.
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Enterprise booming for Denver retailers, eating places forward of Avs and Nuggets playoffs