"This series is a wrap" - Charles Barkley predicts Timberwolves to clean sweep Nuggets after humiliating them in Game 2

As Rudy Gobert was sidelined for personal reasons for Game 2, many anticipated the defending champions to rally back and defend their home court against the Minnesota Timberwolves . However, the Denver Nuggets were outplayed throughout the contest, having been forced to enter halftime with a large deficit and ultimately suffering a humiliating 26-point loss.

While fans have grown habitual of seeing Michael Malone's team forge comebacks in the second half, the Gobert-less Timberwolves allowed them no such room, preventing them from taking control and setting the pace. Witnessing the Nuggets getting beat at home, Charles Barkley boldly predicted that this second-round series would end with a clean sweep in favor of the Wolves.

"This series is a wrap. Minnesota is better than the Nuggets. They don't have an advantage anywhere. The MVP is getting outplayed," Barkley said . "They have 'That Guy!' If you have that bulldog... he's like, 'Boys ya'll follow me.' When you have a guy like that, and you have some other good players, think about it: he (Jokic) couldn't even dominate one of them. The Minnesota Timberwolves are for real; they're gonna sweep the Denver Nuggets."

Barkley is on point with his view

As Sir Charles rightly pointed out, the expectation was for Nikola Jokic to assert his dominance in Game 2, especially with Gobert out. However, the two-time MVP tallied the game's highest turnovers (4) once again and found himself consistently pressured by the entire Timberwolves team. They played brilliantly to prevent him from recording a triple-double, and ultimately, he logged a plus/minus rating of -16 in 39 minutes.

More importantly, while Jamal Murray often carried the scoring load whenever Jokic struggled in the first-round series, the Timberwolves prioritized stopping the 6'4" point guard from finding any rhythm, containing him to 8 points on abysmal 3-of-18 shooting from the field.

Once again, Edwards and Naz Reid delivered impactful performances for the visiting team, scoring 27 and 14 points, respectively. However, Karl Anthony Towns made the most significant contribution to Minnesota's triumph in this game, recording a strong double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Perkins also feels the Wolves are far better

With the entire Timberwolves team believing in their collective strength, they are unlikely to yield under the superiority of the defending champs. This sentiment is spreading throughout the NBA realm, with not just Barkley but even Kendrick Perkins being quick to proclaim that the series will ultimately favor Edwards & Co. due to their unwavering belief.

"The Wolves are going to the NBA Finals. They weren't just built to knock off the defending champs, they were built to win the Western Conference," Perkins said . "When you have a guy like Karl Anthony Towns... like his confidence is at an all-time high... this team has belief.... I believe Anthony Edwards is gonna continue being the best player in this series."

The Nuggets have been plagued by slow starts to begin games throughout these playoffs, and that aspect is finally haunting them big time against the Timberwolves. Will they adopt an aggressive approach and throw everything at the Timberwolves to avoid this in Game 3, or will this strategy expose them to further vulnerabilities?

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