Nothing to Avenge Here! It’s Ant Man vs. Joker & The Suicide Squad: Official Timberwolves (#3) vs. Nuggets (#2) West Semifinals Thread

[RubioTheCruel]

I mean, Gobert really screwed that 4th quarter up. Game was completely winnable if you take out all those errors.

That complete meltdown the Wolves had at the end of the second quarter killed them.

 

[Primetime]

Expecting Ant to come back down to earth next game and the Wolves supporting cast still struggle to find what worked the first two games.

Exerting defense like they did early in the series gasses you and they could really be exhausted to be honest. Maybe peaked a little too soon.

If so, it's a 6 game series.

What's damning about this game is Maga Jr (4 points) and KCP (3 points) didn't show up. Yet Gordon's 27 covered for all three of them. That's unacceptable if you're Minnesota.

I doubt Gordon gets even 15 next game, but Maga and KCP probably gonna have bounce back games.

Comparatively, MIN needs that same collective effort that they had in game 2 in which Ant was able to coast that 1st half. Kat gon need to have 25+ and they gotta do something about this Gobert/Reid situation, and get Reid in more play actions going to the hoop when he is in the game.

 

[EzekelRAGE]

 

[Justise M]

Jordan at Ant’s age was getting 60 on MVP Larry Bird in the playoffs

Jordan wasn't winning anything either at this age. Edwards still ahead of schedule even if they lose this series

 

[iceberg_is_on_fire]

What more can he do. He 'won' the game when he played. He was let down by his supporting cast.

 

[BrehWyatt]

Meh. Wolves still have away court advantage. New 3 game series

These last two games have felt like Denver needed to be punched in the mouth twice to wake up and realize they have a title to defend.

But for Jokic to leave midway through the third with the Nuggets up 15-16 or whatever and for him to come back and the Nuggets were up 12... you have to strike when the opportunity is there.

 

[Malcolmxxx_23]

Y’all think Denver gon win now?

Yes it’s over
Kat a tin foil
The tall French is useless
Mike is like 46 years old

 

[IIVI]

That complete meltdown the Wolves had at the end of the second quarter killed them.

It did, but Gobert was really screwing up at the end in a winnable game. It's not only the screw ups though.

At the end of the day, Gobert has never been a great play-off piece going back to the Utah days so this isn't surprising to be honest.

They're basically playing 4v5 out there.

Like the Clippers and Mavs did against Utah, Denver has figured it out and made it a non-factor. It's not entirely irrational to look at the common denominator. Gobert brings a certain style and these teams have the personnel to take advantage of it. It's a bad matchup.

 

[Two Stacks]

WE THE DEFENDING CHAMPS FOR A REASON.

 

[Surreal]

What more can he do. He 'won' the game when he played. He was let down by his supporting cast.

Learn the game within the game

 

[Dem313wayz]

Woah Kenny lol

I'll never eat at a restaurant that mops there meat

 

[firemanBk]

Series starting to resemble Bulls vs Knicks in 93

- Like the Bulls the Nuggets are the champs
- Like the Bulls the Nuggets went down 0-2 on their home floor
- Like the Wolves the Knicks were built solely to take down the champs (Bulls, Nuggets)
- Like the Wolves the Knicks got big bro’ed the previous year by the champs
- Like the Wolves the Knicks went into the series frothing at the mouth and absolutely put it on them
- Like the Bulls the Nuggets went on the road and turned it up an unmatchable level and gamed the (Knicks, Wolves) on their floor


The Bulls ended up backdooring the Knicks that series and I see the same thing happening with the Wolves. They don’t execute in the crunch like Denver does and the Nuggets have the clear mental advantage. Really Denver‘s been walking teams down since 2020 in the bubble.

You gotta match their insane mental fortitude to have a chance

Bulls went down 0-2 in NY
Knicks were the 1 seed that year, they won 60 games
That was the Charles Smith series where he got stuffed/stripped like 4x in a row when he had a chance to take the lead with like 10 seconds left in game 5 and wound up cementing himself as the most despised Knicks player ever

 

[Auger]

No

Jordan has Stacey King, who was much worse
Jordan learned something from Isiah and the Pistons

Playing the game within the game. Possibly having to win ugly against more talented teams
Kobe figured that during his last title runs. Bron never figured it out

Can you expound on that? Because it looks like Denver as a collective has a higher BBIQ

And I think Bron can play at this deeper level using game 1 of the 2017 finals as an example

 

[BrehWyatt]

What more can he do. He 'won' the game when he played. He was let down by his supporting cast.

Played that other 2:40, apparently.

 

[IIVI]

Also, coincidence that Reggie Jackson were on those Clippers teams that made Gobert a non-factor in Utah?