Despite some early nerves, Jamal Murray returned to internet 24 factors and supplied eight assists in his first playoff recreation since 2020, serving to the Denver Nuggets simply win 109-80 towards the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Murray was Murray,” Wolves level guard Chris Conley mentioned. “He’s one of the better scorers, playmakers, from our position.”
Michael Porter Jr., who scored 18 factors in his first playoff recreation since lacking final yr’s run with a foul again, mentioned Murray used his day without work after blowing out his left knee in 2021 to enhance his basketball IQ.
“I told him the other day I feel like he’s better now than before the injury,” Porter mentioned. “I know he probably doesn’t feel it, but just his overall game, his awareness, he had like a year off where he had just to watch.”
Porter scored 18 factors and Nikola Jokic added 13 factors, 14 rebounds and a half dozen assists in 28 minutes as Denver snapped a five-game skid in playoff openers – and have become the one larger seed to win on its homecourt Sunday.
Porter and Murray began sluggish offensively, so that they turned up their protection, diving for unfastened balls and crashing the glass till they discovered their capturing contact.
“That was the game right there,” Murray mentioned. “It wasn’t even offense. I think Mike and I struggled early and we were still playing defense. We were running the floor, playing defense, boxing out, and playing physically. Everybody made an impact.”
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 18 factors. Karl-Anthony Towns, rounding into type this month after lacking 52 video games with a foul calf, missed 10 of his first 12 photographs and 11 factors.
“It’s the NBA. It’s not forgiving. Just things happen,” Towns mentioned. “They did a great job; give them credit. They had a long week preparing for us and they got ready and you could tell on the court they knew our plays and knew what they were doing. So we’ve just got to come back ready for Game 2. It’s a series move on, flush it and get ready.”
Minnesota coach Chris Finch lamented Denver’s more durable physicality and higher management.
“Way more physical than we were,” he mentioned. “They played with more speed, more force; they kicked our butts in every category you can imagine.”
Jokic mentioned throughout the Nuggets’ week off that he was desirous to see how they’d do with Murray and Porter again within the lineup with him after accidents and surgical procedures waylaid Denver’s Big Three every of the final two postseasons.
The reply was emphatic: the trio mixed 55 factors, 33 rebounds and 16 assists – with simply two mixed turnovers – as all 5 of Denver’s starters scored in double figures, as did reserve Bruce Brown, who chipped in 14.
The Nuggets had been the one one among 4 house groups to win Sunday because the Bucks, Grizzlies and Suns all surrendered homecourt benefit to decrease seeds within the first spherical.
The opener marked Murray’s first playoff look since his breakout efficiency within the 2020 NBA bubble, when he twice put up 50 factors on the Jazz in serving to the Nuggets attain the Western Conference Finals, the place they misplaced to LeBron James and the Lakers. Unfortunately, Murray tore his left ACL eight months later and missed the Nuggets’ final two playoff runs.
“It is kind of wild to think it’s been that long,” Denver coach Michael Malone mentioned earlier than tip-off. “I’m just so happy for him, proud of him. It has not been an easy journey for him, but this year, we’ve seen Jamal have moments where that’s the Jamal Murray we all love and remember.”
The Timberwolves had been with out beginning ahead Jaden McDaniels, their greatest perimeter defender, who broke his proper hand punching a wall in Minnesota’s ultimate common season recreation.
Towns promised issues could be totally different in Game 2.
“I don’t think this team has many nights like this,” he mentioned of the Wolves, who hadn’t been held to 80 or fewer factors since Nov. 19, 2016.
Spicy Nuggets
Malone mentioned earlier than tip-off he anticipated some chippiness within the collection: “I don’t mind spicy. This is the playoffs. This isn’t like regular season games.”
He received simply that within the third quarter when rookie Christian Braun received right into a brawl with Kyle Anderson after Anderson’s flagrant foul.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
