The Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-113 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 series lead.
Jamal Murray led the way with 40 points, scoring in a variety of ways off the dribble. His stepback jumper was in rhythm for most of the night,
and he nailed critical shot after clutch shot to help the Nuggets withstand a second-half assault from the Timberwolves.
The Nuggets had dominated the first two games of the series. Initially, it appeared that Game 2 would also be a blowout.
Denver had a 20-point lead in the second quarter, but the Timberwolves cut it to 15 at halftime and then went on a strong run to grab their own lead in the third quarter.
Denver needed a lot from their stars tonight, and Murray delivered. Murray appears to be moving beyond the "Bubble Jamal" tag as we speak.
Here are my key takeaways from the Nuggets' Game 2 clash against the Timberwolves on Wednesday night:
Denver matches and even outperforms Minnesota in terms of physicality.