The first rematch between the Nuggets and Timberwolves after last season’s seven-game series in the second round lived up to the hype. Here are three takeaways from Denver’s dramatic 119-116 loss Friday in Minnesota. 1.
Friday’s game feels like another prominent chapter in one of the NBA’s budding rivalries. The dislike was most obvious after Christian Braun put Rudy Gobert on a poster in the fourth quarter. Braun flexed on Gobert and put his shoulder into Gobert’s chest during his celebration.
Gobert responded by briefly put his arm around Braun’s shoulder or neck and shoved him away. Both players were assessed technical fouls. Gobert ended up with the last laugh.
He successfully contested Braun's driving layup, grabbed the defensive rebound and hit a couple of free throws to put Minnesota up 3 with 10 seconds left. Then, he forced a Nikola Jokic air ball at the buzzer. Postgame, Anthony Edwards, who led the Timberwolves with 29 points, confirmed the two teams aren’t very fond of the other.
2. A tough start for Jamal Murray ended in rough fashion. In the third quarter, Murray hit his head while trying to fight through a Julius Randle screen.
He put his hand to his face multiple times on the ensuing possessions before he went back to the locker room during the next timeout. It didn’t take long for the Nuggets to announce Murray entered concussion protocol and would miss the rest of the game. He finished with six points on 2 of 7 shooting with three assists, tw.
