MINNEAPOLIS — Jamal Murray and Kevin Harlan perform a beautiful duet together.
At the end of 20 series-shifting seconds, Murray planted his feet in front of the broadcast table and struck a pose while Harlan was leaning forward, enraptured by Murray’s swagger and shouting into a microphone being transmitted across the country.
In those 20 seconds, the Nuggets had more than doubled their lead going into halftime of Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a sequence that ultimately gave them enough separation in a 115-107 series-tying win Sunday night. The 8-0 run culminated in Murray’s steal and swish from the half-court line.
With all the momentum in a 2-2 series and Game 5 coming Tuesday at Ball Arena, all the Nuggets have to do now is overcome the specter of home-court advantage. The road team has won all four games.
“We can’t allow them to come in and get a third win at Ball Arena,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “And that’s a message to our fans, to come out and make that place an absolute zoo come whatever night we’re playing. I don’t even know what day it is anymore.”
That about sums up how upside down this series has been. In front of a rowdy Target Center, Nikola Jokic played his most aggressive game of the four so far, racking up 35 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Aaron Gordon added 27, seven and six on 11-of-12 shooting. He didn’t miss until the 3:38 mark of the fourth quarter.
“We don’t win without (Gordon),” Malone said. “Nikola’s gonna do what he does … but what Aaron is doing in terms of the offense, the shot-making, the play-making, the physicality, the defense on two All-Stars, so much is being asked of him right now.”
That’s the real shift in the chemistry of this matchup. Gordon is suddenly making jump shots at such a high level that during one fourth-quarter sequence, the Timberwolves desperately rotated to cover an open Gordon in the corner. He swung the ball to Christian Braun on the right wing. The 43% above-the-break shooter knocked down a critical three.
But 20 seconds stood taller than any other sequence. The Timberwolves had worked hard to whittle their deficit to 56-49. Then: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for three. Steal for Jokic. Dunk for Michael Porter Jr. with 1.6 seconds. A messy inbound pass was snatched by Murray, who heaved.
The entire third quarter lived in the vicinity established by those 20 seconds — between a margin of 11 and 18 points. The Timberwolves couldn’t get back within single digits despite a premature set of Jokic rest minutes. He picked up his fourth foul with 7:15 left in the frame and checked out a minute later, not to return until the final two seconds. He didn’t score in the quarter. Edwards scored 14.
But Denver defended, and Minnesota’s role players missed shots. Murray briefly spat flames in the third, proof that he truly just needs to see one go in. He finished with 19 points and eight assists.
“This team has a lot of talented players that have confidence and that have big, big balls,” Malone said.
The Timberwolves’ second option, Karl-Anthony Towns, went 5 for 18 on the night, totaling 13 points to mitigate the explosive effects of Anthony Edwards’ 44 points.
Before opening tip, a tense and game-faced Malone offered his own prediction of the trajectory of an unpredictable series. “If this series kind of gets back to where we expected it to be, it’ll be like Game 1,” he said. “It’ll be a three-point game with three minutes to go, and who’s gonna execute down the stretch?”
In one early development that was reminiscent of Game 1, Edwards made his first four shots to set the tone for his nuclear performance. The Nuggets weren’t playing poorly, but Minnesota landed the first punch nonetheless, leading 22-15.
Little sequences turned into major swings. Reggie Jackson took a charge to draw Edwards’ second foul then drained a 3-pointer at the other end, cutting it to 22-20. With Murray in his own foul trouble, the bench scored 16 early points, including a couple more 3s from the scorching Justin Holiday. Jokic and Gordon both converted improbable finishes after earning a continuation whistle.
The Nuggets swung back with a 26-4 run. After a Chris Finch timeout down 41-26, the remainder of the second quarter was a mission to chip away toward single digits. The Timberwolves succeeded until they didn’t.
Both coaches got deeper into their tactical bags. In Game 3, Denver had cracked the full-court pressure by having Gordon bring the ball up. “We’ve still gotta find ways to be disruptive as best we can in that,” Finch said before Game 4. “Obviously we’re not gonna have Rudy pick him up 94 feet, but there’s certain things that you might be able to do.” Those things entailed sticking Jaden McDaniels on Gordon for 94 feet as if Gordon was Murray. The cross-matching behind it turned head-spinning.
The Nuggets tried Caldwell-Pope, Braun and Gordon on Edwards. Nothing seemed to work. They tried Holiday on Naz Reid. Malone was unafraid to move his pieces around. “In the playoffs, everybody has to know what everyone does,” Holiday said. “Everybody has to be ready to guard somebody you’re not used to guarding.”
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