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On Tuesday night, the Timberwolves and Nuggets will play a critical Game 5 as the NBA Western Conference second-round series shifts back to Denver.
After going down 0-2, the defending champions have regained momentum with two straight road wins in Minnesota.
As we look toward Game 5 and the rest of the series, can the Wolves bounce back and win again on the road? Or will the Nuggets continue to surge as they seek to defend their title?
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets odds
Spread: Timberwolves +4 (-110), Nuggets -4 (-110)
Moneyline: Timberwolves +145, Nuggets -175
Total: Under 205.5 (-112), Over 205.5 (-108)
Odds via DraftKings
Timberwolves breakdown
Anthony Edwards did everything in his power to lead the Wolves to a Game 4 win on Sunday, with 44 points, five rebounds and five assists. Edwards vowed to bounce back after saying he felt he let his team down due to a lack of effort in Game 3. However, his dominant impact in 45 minutes wasn’t enough to lead his team to a win.
Edwards has been brilliant this entire postseason, averaging 32.1 points on absurd shooting splits of 56/44/83. The future is incredibly bright for the 22-year-old shooting guard out of Georgia, but he’ll need more help from his teammates to secure a win in Game 5 and swing the momentum back toward Minnesota.
One player who has to step up is forward Karl-Anthony Towns. In Game 4, Towns was limited to 13 points on putrid 5-of-18 shooting. Six players scored in double figures for the Wolves, but they need KAT to return to the form that saw him score 20 and 27 points, respectively, in Games 1 and 2 in Denver.
While Aaron Gordon has been a revelation for the Nuggets, Minnesota needs Karl-Anthony Towns to step back into form. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Nuggets breakdown
Nikola Jokic was brilliant in Denver’s last two wins, and in Game 4 he scored 35 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. The three-time MVP has refused to let his team roll over, and he spurred them to two road wins in hostile territory, proving why he’s the reigning NBA Finals MVP.
However, it’s been the emergence of Aaron Gordon that has been just as significant for Denver. Gordon finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Game 4, shooting a blistering 11-of-12 from the field. Despite being a 29% 3-point shooter this season, he’s shooting 8-of-11 (73%) from deep over the last three games.
The Nuggets’ bench was also a steadying force in Game 4 as Christian Braun, Justin Holiday and Reggie Jackson combined for 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Holiday, in particular, has been a revelation for this team despite being nearly out of the rotation in the first round.
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets pick
Not much in this series has made sense, with all four underdogs winning outright on the road in the first four games.
There are reasonable arguments to be made for both teams in this spot, but are you really going to fade Jokic in a pivotal Game 5?
The Nuggets went 33-8 at home in the regular season and were 13-1 at home over their last 14 playoff games prior to this series.
Now they have all the momentum at home on Tuesday night in a critical Game 5.
Best bet: Nuggets -4 (-108 at BetRivers)
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