Anthony Edwards went on a 43-point spree, Naz Reed contributed 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, Minnesota
Timberwolves
Defeated defending champion 106-99 in the opening game of the second-round series on Saturday night
Champion Denver
Nuggets (US basketball team)
Edwards was unstoppable in the first half, contributing 25 points, while Reed took over the game in the fourth quarter. Despite being plagued by foul trouble, Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 20 points.
Game 2 will be played Monday night in Denver.
Three days after undergoing knee surgery, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch sat on the second-row bench next to the scorer's table, with assistant coach Myka Norrie behind him instructing, patrolling and calling plays.
Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic contributed 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, but also committed seven turnovers. Jamal Murray failed to score in the first half and ended up contributing 17 points.
With the game tied at 84, the Timberwolves went on an 18-7 run to pull away. Reed scored 10 consecutive points in that crucial stretch.
Despite missing Reed (broken wrist) and Jaden McDaniels (broken hand), as well as Karl-Anthony Towns, who just recovered from a severe calf strain that missed 52 games, the Timberwolves were still a formidable opponent last year against the Nuggets in the first round. And this time around, the Timberwolves don't have a single player on their injury report.
Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone attributes the Timberwolves' marked improvement to Edwards' stellar play in addition to a better injury situation.
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