By Daniel Paiz

It appears rumors of Denver’s demise are exaggerated, as the Denver Nuggets dominate on the road in Game 3, winning 117-90. Nikola Jokic scored 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished nine assists. Jamal Murray’s bounce back game was exactly what Denver needed, as he added 24 points and five assists; Michael Porter Jr. also rebounded quite well with 21 points of his own, 12 at halftime. All five Denver starters scored in double digits, and the bench chipped in 17 points too.

Minnesota seemed to think the series was over and did not match Denver’s focus or effort. Nobody scored 20 points for the Wolves. Anthony Edwards scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds but did not get to the free throw line; he showed his inexperience tonight. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 14 points, but the majority were from downtown, and was a non-factor in the second half.

A different approach for Game 3

Denver comes out with more effort and force at the start, grabbing a quick 4-0 lead. The passing is good, the ball is moving, and things are tied 9-9 with just over 7 minutes to go. Porter Jr. has eight points already, which is a good sign after a quiet game 2. Denver is hustling and working hard, and while it’s 17-16 at the 3-minute mark, Denver has the momentum. Minnesota’s players and fans are crying an awful lot for this early in the game. Murray drives quick and fast to the rim, and he looks different tonight., as he too has eight points in the first. Denver up after the first, 28-20. Very quiet in Minnesota.

Justin Holiday hits his second three to start the second. Porter Jr hits a few free throws and has ten points already; 36-23 Denver at the 9:35 mark. Murray hits a smooth reverse layup and Denver has built a 42-25 lead. Minnesota gets going a little bit to cut it to 45-32 after Denver’s first turnover. Timeout for the road team; the effort is waning a bit so now’s a good time to regroup. Jokic hits a mid-range shot and makes it 49-32 Denver around the 4-minute mark. 56-38 after a Murray three with a minute left, Denver is passing so well tonight. 56-41 Denver at halftime, as Murray has 18 points and Porter Jr. has 12 points.

Gordon hits a big three to make it 66-48 at the 8:45 mark in the third, Denver is still making pretty good passes. That’s extremely evident as the following two plays result in threes and the Nuggets 72-50 lead forces a home team timeout. This level of passing is something that hasn’t been seen this consistently this postseason, but it is very welcome. 79-59 after a Jokic shot over both Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert with 4:15 to go. A Jokic lob to Gordon makes it 83-59 and Denver is offensively sailing with good passes, patience, and everyone being on the same page here in the third. Denver rolling at the end of three, 93-66.

Porter Jr. hits another three and makes it 98-72 as the fourth winds down. Murray with a sneaky steal on Edwards, passes to Gordon, who kicks it back to Murray for a BIG slam dunk to make it 102-75 with 7:19 left in the fourth. Denver has the Wolves forcing bad passes, second guessing their defense, and looking completely out of sorts. What’s quite impressive is Jokic is making cuts like a guard right now, the Wolves don’t seem to be able to slow him down in any capacity. It’s 109-75 with five minutes to go, Wolves have benched their starters. A whole lot of rookies and young players are passing, shooting, and fouling until the final buzzer, as Denver dominates 117-90.

Keys to Game 4

Arrive with this same energy, this same focus, this exquisite passing and defensive pressure. Denver had 26 assists and 40 team rebounds. Denver focused on what they needed to do and focused on each other, tuning out the crowd and the Wolves. As Nikola Jokic stated in his postgame interview with Scott Van Pelt, a big key for Game 4 is to “get the ball across halfcourt in two or three seconds.” That is how Denver plays their game, and that is how they have to respond again in Game 4.