The Minnesota Timberwolves' hopes of winning a playoff series for the first time since 2004 took a serious hit when they lost the opening two games of their first-round matchup against the Denver Nuggets. Now, as the action shifts back to Minneapolis, they face what is essentially a must-win Game 3 at home.
Ahead of Friday night's contest, here's everything you need to know:
(1) Denver Nuggets vs. (8) Minnesota Timberwolves
- Date: Friday, April 21 | Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Target Center -- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- TV channel: ESPN
- Odds: Nuggets -2; O/U 222 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Nuggets: The Nuggets coasted to the finish line in the regular season, but have kicked back into high gear to start their playoff run. Perhaps the best sign for them so far is that Jamal Murray has looked fantastic. He's coming off a 40-point, five-assist effort in Game 2, and has been every bit the perimeter shot-maker and creator the Nuggets need him to be to supplement Nikola Jokic's production.
Timberwolves: While the Timberwolves deserve some credit for battling back in the second half of Game 2 to avoid another embarrassing defeat, moral victories don't mean much in the postseason. If they want to get back in this series with a win at home on Friday, they'll need much more from Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been woeful so far in this series: 22 points on 27 shots in Games 1 and 2 combined.
Prediction
Teams that are down 0-2 and coming back home for Game 3 almost always put up a strong fight, and the Nuggets were not a great road team this season (19-22). The Timberwolves aren't going to win this series, but they can win this game riding the emotion of the crowd. Pick: Timberwolves +2
