Recap: Nuggets cannot handle T-Wolves at home.

  

The Denver Nuggets come short against the Minnesota Timberwolves 136-130. Monte Morris scored 23 points and despite shooting 4-5 for three in the fourth quarter, the T-Wolves proved to be too much. Nikola Jokic leads all players with 38 points, 19 rebounds and 8 assists. Carl Anthony-Town scored 32 points and four three-pointers to go with 9 rebounds. The Nuggets had 18 turnovers and scored 12–35 out of three as a team.

With this defeat, the Nuggets are still in sixth place. If the Utah Jazz loses to the Golden State Warriors tomorrow, the Nuggets will have another chance to jump in the standings when they beat L.A. on Sunday. However, Minnesota is now only 2 games behind the Nuggets. The Nuggets need to treat every game like a playoff from this point on.

1st quarter:

The Nuggets score on their first 3 possessions but are stopped by a defense from T-Wolves' active hands. D'Angelo Russell adds on 2 three-pointers early on and Wolves goes for 16-5. Denver had 3 turnovers in the first 4 minutes of the quarter. Carl Anthony-Town and D'Angelo Russell added the first 23 points for Wolves. He sipped on the KAT in his first comeback from injury to James Michael Green, who also finished a big alley off Bones Highland.

Don't jump with JMyke👀 pic.twitter.com/6hYo05oUNR

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 2, 2022

The Nuggets struggled to 3 in the first quarter and the Wolves did not, with Denver scoring 2-8 while Minnesota scored 6-11. Jokic was checked out in the quarter with 12 points without a miss. DeMarcus Cousins ​​makes 3 just before the buzzer and the Nuggets come down 40-35 one after the other.

Second quarter:

Bones Highland steals the ball and kicks it from coast to coast for a tough finish. The Nuggets go cold for a while and Boogie picks up 3 quick fouls and a technique, Jokic has to come back as quickly as he normally would. The Nuggets conceded 11-2 to start the second. The Nuggets continued their cool 3 point shooting, from 0-4 to the 7-minute mark.

The Nuggets closed the Wolves to an 11 to 2 lead behind Nikola Jokic's perfect 8-8 shoot. Jokic moves on to get T'd after missing 2 shots, which could very well have been fouled. Wolves go on a short run and go up to 7, but, Aaron Gordon throws down a giant alley-oop and then follows him by throwing down another dunk.

DUNK. OF. THE. YEAR. pic.twitter.com/skZ9amPM9x

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 2, 2022

 

The Nuggets come back within 1, but 5, 70-65 at halftime go over the T-Wolves.

Third quarter:

Carl Anthony-Town picked up his fourth foul early in the quarter but remained in the game. T-Wolves scored 9-2 to start the second half. The referee gives D'Angelo Russell the third technique of the game, this time. Will Barton gets his first point after starting the game at 1-7 and at -1. Jeff Greene attempts to charge Carl Anthony-Town but it is called a blocking foul on the court, Coach Malone challenges the call and the referee confirms it.

Instead of Cat's 5th foul, this is Jeff Green's 4th foul. The Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic, scored 16–4 to tie it after the challenge. Denver takes its first lead as the score was 9-7 at 87-86. Jokic checks up two with the Nuggets, keeping him close to the bench until he comes back. Wolves linked on two 3 pointers to end the quarter and Denver is down 4. 98-94 to start fourth.

Fourth quarter:

Carl Anthony-Town hit the fourth three of the night after Green opened things up with a putback. After only a minute and 15 seconds on the bench, Jokic comes back in. At that point, Wolves' lead was reduced to 9 for 13 when Jokic was checked out. The Nuggets struggled on both offense and defense to start 4. Denver delivers back-to-back turnover on the first pass of possession and the Wolves score at the break both times.

The Nuggets couldn't stop the Wolves down the stretch, even with a struggle to mix and you have a 15 point T-Wolves lead. The Nuggets never gave up, with Monte Morris giving them 6 straight points and bringing the lead down to 9. Morris hit another 3 to bring the lead to 7. Anthony Edwards scored 13 points in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets were able to cut the lead down to 3 with 20 seconds remaining, but Taurean Prince extended the lead to 5 with both his free throws.