Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets is set for Monday night. Minnesota has stolen home court advantage in this series by taking Game 1 of the series.
Minnesota earned the number three seed in the Western Conference after a great regular season, and they have yet to lose in the playoffs. The Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns in the First Round and kept that momentum.
The Nuggets are looking to win back-to-back NBA Championships, and they are one of the favorites to get that done. Denver got past the Los Angeles Lakers in the First Round, but things have gotten tougher in this series.
Denver is a 5.5-point betting favorite in this game, but similar lines were used in the series opener.
Edwards Leading Charge For Minnesota
Anthony Edwards has emerged as one of the best players in the NBA, and he poured in 42 points in the first game of this series. Edwards has been on a roll throughout the postseason, and he will need to set the tone for the Timberwolves in this game.
Minnesota is one of the biggest teams in the league, and they have also been able to get easy buckets in the paint. The Timberwolves are not an explosive team, but they do have a ton of weapons on offense.
This team has a ton of size to throw at Nikola Jokic, and that was a huge key to them taking control of the series opener. Minnesota can be a great defensive team, and that’s going to be a big key throughout this matchup.
Nuggets Must Make Shots
Denver shot just 47 percent from the field in the series opener, and they will need to be better to win this game. The Nuggets actually made 13 shots from deep, but they struggled in the paint to score points.
Nikola Jokic had 32 points in Game 1 of the series, but he struggled to get easy shots in the paint as well. Jamal Murray had just 17 points in the series opener, and the Nuggets rely on him to score points on offense.
Look for the Nuggets to throw extra defenders at Anthony Edwards in this game as they must find a way to slow him down. Denver is typically a great defensive team, but that just wasn’t the case in the series opener.
Nuggets Bounce Back
The Minnesota Timberwolves made a statement in the series opener, but they have also woken up the Nuggets. Minnesota will get another huge game from Anthony Edwards, but others are going to have to step up in this game.
Jamal Murray had a rough game in the series opener, but you can count on him to play some great basketball in this game. The Nuggets are typically a tough team to beat in Denver, and that will prove true in this game.
Bet the Denver Nuggets -5.5 as they take control of Game 2 to even up the series.
