MINNEAPOLIS — When Nikola Jokic headed to the bench with foul trouble midway through the third quarter of Game 3, Minnesota still had life.
Without the two-time MVP picking apart their defense, the T-Wolves had reason to believe they could chip away at a single-digit lead and perhaps make this a competitive series.
But the steely unit of Christian Braun, Bruce Brown and Jeff Green paired with starters Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon erased that hope. They swarmed defensively, using their versatility to their advantage, and attacked incessantly.
That group, regardless of which starters they’re paired with, has an identity.
In Braun, they have a fearless rookie who’s predisposed to physicality. In Brown, they’ve got another versatile defender whose motor doesn’t stop. So far this series, Green and Gordon have disrupted Karl-Anthony Towns’ rhythm, mitigating Minnesota’s No. 2 option. Even at 36, Green has sacrificed his body three times this series by absorbing charges.
“Throughout the regular season, the non-Nikola minutes were always a question mark,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Three games now, I think the non-Nikola minutes have been outstanding for us.”
Over that pivotal third-quarter stretch, Brown buried his patented floater for six points, and Green drained a corner 3-pointer as part of six of his own. Less than five minutes into the fourth quarter, Braun dumped in three more baskets at the rim, each finish more impressive than the last.
Afterward, numerous teammates raved about Braun’s competitive spirit, which has been a consistent theme since Denver drafted him last summer.
Braun was asked generally whether it was a point of pride to survive the non-Jokic minutes.
“That’s the job,” Braun said matter-of-factly. “That’s literally the bench’s job.”
Denver’s bench unit, with Gordon roaming as the backup five and Murray stabilizing the offense with his shot-making, has been a strength in the early going of the postseason. If the Nuggets are to reach their goal, the scrutiny on that unit will be magnified and its limits tested. Thus far, they’ve been a force more than capable of holding or even extending leads.
Asked what’s been the difference in winning almost all the quarters this series, and Malone was adamant.
“The quality of our depth,” he said.
Want more Nuggets news? Sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all our NBA analysis.
