NBA

Already dealing with a sore left ankle, Jackson hobbled off the court during the fourth quarter with tightness in his left calf. While Denver announced that he was questionable to return, the veteran point guard remained in the locker room. The only production Denver received from its bench in Game 2 was from Justin Holiday, who shot 4-of-5 from three and finished with 13 points, two rebounds, and one assist. With Jackson and Murray dealing with calf issues, the Nuggets have two point guards not playing at full strength. Game 3 being on Friday could help matters, but the biggest problem has been the talented Timberwolves.

Murray had a rough night at the office, as Denver fell into an 0-2 hole. He struggled with his shot throughout and was also visibly frustrated with the officials. Things reached a head during the second quarter when an angry Murray threw a heat pack onto the court. No technical foul was called at the time, but the NBA is likely to hand down a punishment of some kind before Game 3 on Friday. The three days off come at a good time for Murray, who is in serious need of some time to rest his ailing calf.

Gordon played better than any other Nugget in Game 2, and while that benefitted those who put him into their DFS lineups, that was not good news for Denver. Stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined to score 24 points, and Michael Porter Jr. (9/5/2/1/1 with one 3-pointer) shot 1-of-7 from three while committing four turnovers. Gordon was one block shy of a full stat line, and his production was one of the few bright spots on Monday. Given how limited Denver’s bench is, they may need another effort like this in Game 3 on Friday.

Jamal Murray (calf) isn’t playing at full strength, and Minnesota was playing without Rudy Gobert on Monday. With the Nuggets having dropped Game 1, they needed an elite performance from Jokic. While he did finish two assists shy of a triple-double, they did not get that from the Joker. He committed four turnovers, but the shooting (5-of-13 FGs) was especially concerning. Minnesota had some success during Game 1 using Karl-Anthony Towns or Naz Reid on Jokic, with Gobert serving as the “free safety.” The Timberwolves could not do that in Game 2, but they successfully defended Jokic straight up. He and the Nuggets have some things to address ahead of Friday’s Game 3.

With Rudy Gobert (personal) back in Minnesota, Anderson was the choice to fill the void in the starting lineup. SloMo was most impactful as a rebounder, with seven of his nine coming on the offensive end of the floor. Given how well the Timberwolves have played, those extra possessions seriously damaged the reigning champions. Add in eight assists and three “stocks,” and Anderson had a solid night at the office. Gobert should be available for Game 3 on Friday, which would bounce Anderson back to the bench.

The Timberwolves are taking a 2-0 lead home to Minneapolis, winning Game 2 dominantly despite not having Rudy Gobert (personal). Reid wasn’t the choice to fill the void in the starting lineup (Kyle Anderson was), but that didn’t keep him from impacting the action defensively. The NBA Sixth Man of the Year blocked four shots while hitting four 3-pointers and tallying 14 points. And Reid wasn’t the only reserve to show off his shot-blocking abilities. Nickeil Alexander-Walker racked up three blocks while also tallying 14 points, six rebounds, one assist, and four 3-pointers in 30 minutes. Minnesota’s bench has been superior through two games, and that’s unlikely to change when the series shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday.

The Timberwolves were without Rudy Gobert on Monday, as he was back in Minnesota for the birth of his first child. And it didn’t matter because Denver still had no answer for Edwards. Ant-Man tied for the team lead in scoring, shooting well over 50% from the field. If there was an issue for him, it was the turnovers, with the star guard racking up four, but to cite that would be to split hairs. Denver has three days to figure out their approach to defending Edwards, with Game 3 scheduled for Friday night.

Minnesota needed Towns to step up with Rudy Gobert (personal reasons) away from the team, and that’s what he did. KAT tied for the team lead in points, shooting 66.7% from the field while also grabbing 12 rebounds. He’s scored 20 points or more in three straight games, and not only was foul trouble not an issue for Towns, but he and the other starters were able to watch the end of Tuesday’s rout from the bench. Gobert should be available for Friday’s Game 3, but Minnesota needs Towns to play at this level consistently. Now 6-0 this postseason, the Timberwolves look like a team that can play into June.

Morris logged eight minutes before exiting Game 2, finishing with two points (1-of-4 FGs) and one steal. If he cannot play in Game 3 on Friday, Jordan McLaughlin could return to the rotation. However, neither will play enough to merit being added to DFS lineups.

With Tyrese Haliburton struggling in Monday’s series opener, McConnell stepped up to lead a bench unit that combined to score 46 points. The veteran point guard scored 20 points in Indiana’s Game 6 win over Milwaukee, so his ability to punish the Knicks is unsurprising. Also reaching double figures off the bench was former Knick Obi Toppin, who tallied 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block, and two 3-pointers in 19 minutes. Add Isaiah Jackson (8/5/1/0/3) and Ben Sheppard (8/2/2 with two 3-pointers), and the Pacers’ reserves played well enough to win Game 1. Unfortunately for them, the combination of New York’s Villanova trio and a few controversial calls was too much to overcome.