The Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves again. As a result, the top seed in the Western Conference shows why it is the top seed because it is the only team in the first round to have a 3-0 lead over its opponent. Remember, the only seed in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks, lost Game 1 to the Miami Heat. The Celtics recently dropped their first playoff game to the Atlanta Hawks leaving Denver as the only undefeated team. In Game Three, the Timberwolves came back into the game several times, but the Nuggets continued to hold their own against run after run. In the end, Denver emerged victorious, 120-111.
The Denver Nuggets remain the only undefeated playoff team
Denver’s main performers
Sure enough, the Nuggets’ Big Three showed up in Game 3. Their star player, Nikola Jokic, scored a triple-double as he came away with 20 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Not to mention, he also shot 69.2 percent from the field. Considering the fact that he was in such bad trouble in the third quarter, that makes the game’s MVP performance all the more impressive. Michael Porter, Jr. was the MVP of the night with 25 points and nine total rebounds. Porter kept the defense honest all night as he wasn’t content with quick shots and was attacking the edge from the opening end.
Jamal Murray, or the playoff Murray as some have called him, is out on the whole again. He didn’t have another 40 points, but he was still very effective and had some watershed moments. The Kentucky product had a great all-around game with 18 points, nine assists, six rebounds and two steals. One key game to stay behind was in the final quarter when Murray executed a near perfect pick on Nikola Jokic. Murray headed to the basket and pulled a Jokic defender which then led to him executing a backhand pass to Joker for an easy float. When the Denver trio of stars click, they are some of the most unstoppable teams in the league.
Denver Nuggets: Support Team
It would be foolish not to mention the powerful role Denver players play. Aaron Gordon is still a perfect fit for Denver and Bruce Brown has been the team’s Swiss army knife this entire series. Not to mention, brave rookie Christian Brown has risen to the challenge of guarding the likes of Mike Conley and even Anthony Edwards on occasion.
Last but not least, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finds a stroke from outside the arc again and explains why the Nuggets traded him this past season. The Timberwolves have put up a fight against the Nuggets, but it looks like they just took down the top seed in the West.