Nuggets play role of bully in pivotal Game 5 win over Timberwolves

The Nuggets took the fight to the Timberwolves.

After being abused on their home floor in Games 1 and 2, Denver made sure a repeat wouldn’t take place in an all-important Game 5 with the series tied at two games apiece.

After a much softer whistle while the series was in Minnesota, the two teams were allowed to play a much more physical game on Tuesday night at Ball Arena, and the Nuggets were the ones doing the bullying this time around en route to a 112-97 win that gives them a chance to close out the series on Thursday night in the Twin Cities.

“I just didn't think we, collectively, were playing like the reigning champs (after two games),” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “(We) didn’t have a swagger, weren’t playing with confidence, weren’t playing with aggression. Give them credit: They had something to do with that. That Game 2 served as a great reminder of who we need to get back to being both offensively and defensively.”

Sure, the Nuggets don’t win this one without an all-time performance from Nikola Jokic, but what might have been equally as impressive was the team’s ability to take away the other star on the floor: Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards.

While Jokic and Edwards largely matched each other through four games, one thing was clear on Tuesday night: the Timberwolves had no answers for Jokic and the Nuggets had plenty for Edwards.

The 22-year-old finished with just 18 points on 5-for-15 shooting from the field in Game 5 and Denver not just limited his scoring, but the constant double teams limited his ability to create for his teammates, as well.

“We knew we had to do something different with Anthony Edwards,” Malone said. “This guy is just a one-man wrecking crew. We trapped him, we double-teamed, flew around behind (screens) and that takes a lot of effort. I think that was a big part of the win tonight.”

Christian Braun continues to seize his opportunity in this series, playing a playoff career-high 28 minutes as he remains the best option the Nuggets have in guarding Edwards 1-on-1.

The second-year guard out of Kansas even made a big impact on offense, scoring in double figures for the second straight game with 10 points, also closing the game once again as he remains one of Malone's best options off the bench in this series.

“Watching the first two games, I knew how much I could impact this series,” Braun said. “I knew I could’ve done more and I was waiting on that moment, waiting on that opportunity. I wanted to guard Ant, and that’s not just me, that’s everybody, but I think I can do a good job being physical with him. This is a series I know I can play well in.”

Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota in scoring with 23 on 10-for-18 shooting from the field and the team as a whole shot under 50% from the field and just 31% from 3-point range.

But if there are a few key numbers that will particularly irk Chris Finch and the rest of the T-Wolves coaching staff, it’s the ones that show who was the more physical team: points in the paint (Denver had an 62-48 edge), points off turnovers (the Nuggets won that battle 18-12) and fastbreak points (that was 16-4 for the reigning champs).

With a third straight win in this series, the Nuggets continued to punish everyone who was quick to write them off after Game 2.

“You can’t get embarrassed like we did on our home floor,” Braun said. “That hasn’t happened to us in a long time and that’s not a feeling this team liked, it’s not a feeling this team wants. We responded to that tonight and we got to go to Minnesota and do the same thing.”