Christian Braun (left) and Denver’s defense hope to keep Anthony Edwards under wraps in Game 2.
There’s enough recent history between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves that each game, at this point, seems like the latest episode of a must-watch Emmy-nominated series.
And with Game 2 set for Monday (10:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock), just two days plus change since Denver’s 116-105 victory in the opener Saturday afternoon, the schedule is working nicely for those of us who like to binge-watch.
For the record, it’s 15-14 now, Nuggets up one in a rivalry established and dialed hotter over 29 meetings in the past four seasons and postseasons. The “up one” most relevant now is whether Minnesota can fire back quickly to swipe the higher seed’s homecourt edge or has to retreat to Target Center for a closer-to-sea-level shot at making this a series.
Here are three things to watch for when the Nuggets and the Wolves line up for tipoff of Game 2:
1. Keep an eye on: Edwards vs. Braun
As the final seconds ticked off from Game 1, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards went from teammate to teammate on the Ball Arena floor to slap hands and pump up, sending a clear message of resilience to carry the Wolves toward Game 2.
The value of those atta-boys will be determined in large part by Edwards’ next performance vs. the work of Denver wing Christian Braun in thwarting that.
The Wolves’ scoring star put up good numbers – 22 point, nine rebounds, seven assists – that frankly will need to get better if his team intends to win four of the next six games. He wasn’t the vibrant, swaggering gunslinger that marketing execs crave in the opener. A cranky right knee that cost Edwards 11 of the final 14 regular season games still is chirping at him.
But so was Braun on Saturday, the point man in Denver’s focus on this particular snake’s head. The Nuggets showed help whenever Edwards had the ball on the perimeter, discouraging any full-bore assaults into the paint. He launched nine 3-pointers and made only two, his lift probably affected by the knee and some rust.
Don’t downplay Braun, though, the buzz-cut Kansas kid who was a rookie on Denver’s 2023 title team. He has been entrusted with shadowing Edwards the same way he drew the short straw last spring in guarding the Clippers’ James Harden and OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Coach David Adelman likes Braun’s size (6-foot-6, 220 pounds), quickness and even creativity to go off script at times in reading his quarry’s next move.
“He is accepting his role,” Jokić said. “Just being annoying the whole game, guarding full court.”
Said Braun: “I mean, I don’t really have a choice … but it’s what I want.”
Edwards might get motivated if Braun continues to have success in the matchup. He might even get angry. But he’d better not take it lightly.
2. Minnesota’s ‘others’ will swing the outcome
There were plenty of uncharacteristic things in the Wolves’ performance Saturday. Credit Denver’s counter-attacks first, then the crowd, then usual suspects such as a matinee tipoff, playoff-opener jitters and those infernal 5,280 feet.
That must change now. Either through a random Wolf doubling his impact in Game 2. Or from several ratcheting up their play a notch or two.
There are a handful of candidates who can do better. Julius Randle struggled with shots he normally sinks, had one horrible live-ball turnover and showed his frustration. Super-sub Naz Reid was simply sub, his shot and his aggressiveness lacking.
Jaden McDaniels, so often an X factor, shot 6-of-14, did more fouling than usual in trying to cope with Jamal Murray (16 free throws), was a team-worst minus-17 and let his emotions tilt his play. Meanwhile, coach Chris Finch has to be rethinking his rotation and 10-deep bench use after getting negative plus/minus minutes from the second unit.
3. A bigger gap between Gobert, Jokić
Nikola Jokić puts up 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 1 vs. the Timberwolves.
If someone had said pregame that the statistical difference between Jokić, Denver’s Kia MVP finalist, and his Wolves counterpart Rudy Gobert would be a mere eight points, three rebounds and nine assists, it might have elicited laughs. Jokić is Jokić, after all, while Gobert is Minnesota’s scapegoat as much as he is a contributor both offensively and defensively in the same game.
Gobert played well in the opener — he scored 17 points and ventured far from the basket, moving his feet to pester Jokić out there in stretch land. He even sank as many free throws as the Nuggets’ star (one).
Look for Jokić to separate himself more from the competition Monday.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
