For the Nuggets to advance past the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, they had to turn one of their greatest perceived weaknesses into a strength.
During the regular season, the Nuggets struggled to maintain leads whenever two-time MVP Nikola Jokic wasn’t on the floor, orchestrating the offense and being a magician with the basketball. Minnesota was hoping to exploit that in its best-of-seven series against Denver. Instead, the Nuggets’ bench turned out to be a net positive in the series — a development that bodes well for their next series against the star-driven Phoenix Suns.
“We thought coming into the series that we had a chance to gain an advantage there (when Jokic was off the floor), but we couldn’t,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said after a 112-109 loss to Denver ended his team’s season in Game Five on Tuesday night.
The Nuggets attacked the Timberwolves from all angles in winning the best-of-seven series in five games, with the players around Jokic and star guard Jamal Murray taking turns rising to the moment.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope provided perimeter defense and 3-point shooting. Forward Michael Porter Jr. got hot from outside late in games. Aaron Gordon and veteran Jeff Green made life difficult for Minnesota big man Karl Anthony-Towns, and Christian Braun and Bruce Brown provided a spark of energy.
“They cut hard, make open shots, defend (and) have big bodies (in terms of) length,” Timberwolves Mike Conley said. “That’s great for a deep playoff run… to have that depth and experience.”
Murray and Jokic combining for 63 points inside a packed Ball Arena on Tuesday night warranted headlines. But Brown’s 14-point performance off the bench was also invaluable in erasing a 15-point first-quarter deficit. As had been the case during the regular season, he was the Nuggets’ best bench player throughout the series, averaging 11.4 points a game.
As a whole, Denver’s bench outscored Minnesota’s 103-94 over the five games as Brown, Braun and Green emerged as dependable cogs in a viable second unit.
“They have a very deep roster,” Conley said. “The guys that get the hype are (Murray and Jokic), but they got Braun, Brown and (Caldwell-Pope). All those guys play well off of Jokic (and) Murray.”
Guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker admitted that Denver’s ability to get contributions up and down the roster made life difficult for the T-Wolves. When the Nuggets had six players score in double figures with 29 bench points in Game 3, Minnesota had no answers.
It was a similar circumstance in Game 5. Denver had five players score in double figures, as Caldwell-Pope totaled 10 points while Gordon had 14 points and six rebounds. Even though Porter struggled offensively (eight points on 3-for-10 shooting), he buried a clutch 3-pointer with 3:35 left in regulation to give Denver a 100-96 lead.
“They are a team that owns their roles,” Alexander-Walker said. “In moments like (this), they are locked in.”
In reality, Minnesota entered the series at a clear disadvantage. Backup big Naz Reid was sidelined after he underwent wrist surgery earlier this month. Jaden McDaniels, the team’s best defender, fractured his hand after punching a wall in the regular-season finale against New Orleans. With the season on the line, forward Kyle Anderson was also out due to a left eye/facial contusion he suffered in Game 4.
“I mean if we just had (Anderson), we force a Game 6,” Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards said. “Bad things after bad things just happen to us.”
In the Nuggets’ upcoming second-round matchup against the Suns, their depth promises to play a critical role once again. The Suns’ starting five — featuring stars Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul — is among the best in the league. But the mid-season trade that brought Durant to Phoenix took a toll on the bench. Phoenix’s best bench scorer, Josh Okogie, is averaging just 4.8 points per game in the postseason.
Rarely one to give an opponent extra motivation, Jokic downplayed the advantage late Tuesday night while also calling the Suns that “favorite” to win the series.
“(The Suns) have an amazing group of guys,” Jokic said. “They always have a good bench. Not this year, I guess, but whoever steps on the floor for them, knows their role. It’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
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