The Timberwolves and Nuggets face off for the final time this year and Minnesota's won all 3 matchups so far. Can the Nuggets spoil the regular season sweep?
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Timberwolves/Nuggets, live from Ball Arenain Denver, Colorado.
Nikola Jokic's 33.4 PER is the single best PER ever recorded.
West is Best
The race in the Western Conference for the NBA's play-in tournament has gotten extremely tight. Not only are seeds 4-8 still fighting to stay out of the play-in but you've got seeds 9-11 still battling for the finals two spots. Both teams in this one represent two different teams, one in either camp.
Denver sits in the top-3 of the Western Conference, currently just 1.5-games back of the Houston Rockets for 2nd in the conference. The Timberwolves are stuck in 7th place, just a game behind Grizzlies for 5th and a chance to exit the play-in.
Winning tonight is essential for both squads, but in this year it's been the Timberwolves who've managed to consistently get the upper hand.
Most Valuable Player
Whether he wins the award or not, Nikola's Jokic's important to this Nuggets' team cannot be understated. Jokic is averaging a triple double this season alongside 29.3 PPG on shooting splits of 57/41/80. He's top-5 among all players in points, rebounds, assists, steals and his 33.4 player efficiency rating would be the highest single season PER ever recorded.
Denver's got a +20.8 point differential with Jokic on the court and he's done this all without even one All-Star level teammate. Jokic is having the best season of his career and it's clear he should be this season's Most Valuable Player.
The Nuggets have lost all 3-matchups with the Timberwolves this season.
Christian Braun just plays better with Jokic in the lineup. Jokic's innate ability to find cutters going to the hoop or finding his teammates in the best position possible just leaves me to believe this line's too low. Braun's cleared this line in 60% of his games with Jokic this year but he's also cleared it in 15 of his L20 with the Serbian.
He's started 72 games for the Nuggets this year, averaging 15.2 PPG on splits of 57/39/82. At home this year, Braun's averaging 15.5 PPG on splits of 59% from the field and 44% from 3-point land. Braun's elevated his game to a height not a lot of people saw coming, he's already an NBA Champion but now he's become one of the most important cogs of this Nuggets squad.
Braun represents the team's 2nd best defender, behind only Aaron Gordon and it's why Mike Malone's been letting him play 36 MPG over his L10 games.
Anthony Edwards has shot 44% from 3 against the Nuggets this year.
I love volume and if there's one thing Anthony Edwards has done against Denver this year it's shoot plenty of 3s. Edwards has taken 34 3-point attempts in the 3-games against the Nuggets this year, clearing this line in 2 of the 3 games; shooting 44% from beyond the arc.
With the plethora of suspensions on the Timberwolves side, they'll need scoring and 3-point shooting to come from other outlets; both Naz Reid and Divincienzo remain out for their 1-game suspension. Edwards has cleared this line in 6 of his L10 road games, shooting an astounding 43% from 3, when on the road.
Denver's defense ranks 20th in 3-point percentage allowed and 24th in 3s allowed to the SG position. Antman and the Timberwolves are in need of every single win they can get and tonight's game is no different. They remain undefeated against Denver this year and tonight they'll look to complete the sweep.
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