The Denver Nuggets evened their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 1-1 with a dominant 128-108 victory on Wednesday night in Minneapolis. Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic led the charge with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Jamal Murray erupted for a game-high 34 points.
**Denver, Colorado** - The Denver Nuggets evened their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 1-1 with a dominant 128-108 victory on Wednesday night in Minneapolis. Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic led the charge with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Jamal Murray erupted for a game-high 34 points.
The Nuggets started the game strong, building an early 10-point lead. However, the Timberwolves fought back and closed the gap to a single point at the end of the first quarter. But Denver regained control in the second quarter, outscoring Minnesota 36-23 to take a commanding 62-46 lead into halftime.
Jokic was a force in the paint for the Nuggets, scoring 15 points in the first half and connecting on 6 of 8 shots from the field. He also dished out 5 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds in the opening 24 minutes.
Murray was also impressive in the first half, scoring 13 points and hitting 3 of 4 attempts from beyond the arc. His shooting helped keep the Timberwolves' defense honest and allowed Jokic to operate more freely in the paint.
The Timberwolves came out strong in the third quarter and managed to cut Denver's lead to 9 points. But the Nuggets responded with a quick 8-0 run to regain control of the game. Murray continued his hot shooting in the third, scoring 12 points and helping the Nuggets extend their lead to 99-75 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the final frame, the Nuggets cruised to victory, with Jokic and Murray continuing to lead the way. Jokic finished the game with a triple-double, while Murray scored 18 points in the fourth quarter alone.
The victory was a much-needed one for the Nuggets, who lost the series opener at home on Sunday night. They will now have a chance to take a 2-1 series lead when they return to Denver for Game 3 on Friday night.
