Nuggets Overcome Early Deficit
When the Denver Nuggets lost the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Minnesota Timberwolves at home, many analysts, including Stephen A. Smith, Gilbert Arenas, and Charles Barkley, predicted a sweep. However, Nikola Jokic and his team rallied back, winning two games on the road to level the series at 2-2.
Key Players Finding Form
The resurgence of stars Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon has been critical to the Nuggets’ comeback. Their improved performances have been instrumental in turning the tide of the series. However, some believe that the poor showing of Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns against the newly-crowned MVP, Nikola Jokic, contributed significantly to Minnesota’s back-to-back losses.
Bayless Criticizes Gobert and Towns
On Monday’s episode of Undisputed, analyst Skip Bayless argued that Gobert and Towns’ inability to contain Jokic handed the advantage back to the defending champions. Bayless stated, “[The Nuggets] just kept going to the big fella [in Game 4]. It’s 1-on-2 and he annihilates two big guys [Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns]. Both of them. These are two seven-footers!”
Pierce Supports Bayless’ View
Paul Pierce supported Bayless’ perspective, claiming that Gobert and Towns did not perform well enough defensively when double-teaming Jokic. Pierce highlighted that when either player helped to contain Jokic, it left Aaron Gordon wide open in the paint, allowing Jokic to easily find him for an easy dunk. Pierce marveled at Jokic’s playmaking ability but suggested that Gobert and Towns should have done better defensively.
Jokic and Gordon’s Dominance
The Timberwolves struggled to find an answer to the two-man game between Jokic and Gordon. Jokic attacked the rim aggressively when faced with man-to-man defense, and when Minnesota sent an extra defender, he efficiently passed to Gordon for easy scores. Jokic finished the game with 35 points, while Gordon added 27 on 11-of-12 shooting. Their dominant performance led analysts like Pierce and Bayless to doubt the Timberwolves’ chances in the series.
Perkins Questions Gobert’s Defense
Kendrick Perkins also criticized Rudy Gobert’s performance in Games 3 and 4. On Monday’s episode of Get Up, Perkins questioned Gobert’s defensive reputation, saying, “Isn’t Rudy Gobert the Defensive Player of the Year? Why is it all the time he’s the Defensive Player of the Year in the regular season but he’s a defensive liability come playoff time?” Perkins stressed that Gobert needs to play with more physicality and meet higher expectations.
Looking Ahead to Game 5
Perkins noted that when Gobert missed Game 2 and Naz Reid played nearly 30 minutes, the Timberwolves’ defense managed to stifle the Nuggets, holding them to just 80 points. While the Nuggets’ improved offensive display in subsequent games cannot be attributed solely to Gobert’s return, his underwhelming performances have been a factor. Minnesota must address these issues before Game 5 tips off on Tuesday night.(Jiliasia)
