NBA Minnesota beats Denver to take the lead in Game 1 of semifinals

The Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA) won the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 20 years.

Minnesota defeated the Denver Nuggets 106-99 in the first round of the 2023-2024 NBA Playoff Western Conference on the 5th at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

It is the first time in 20 years that Minnesota has won the second round of the playoffs since the game against the Sacramento Kings in May 2004.

Minnesota, a "low-ranked team of all years," has never advanced to the second round of the playoffs for nearly 20 years until last season since reaching the final of the Western Conference in the 2003-2004 season when Kevin Garnett played.

Minnesota, which dismissed the Phoenix Suns 4-0 in the first round this season, continued its recent upward trend, winning even the first leg of the away game against Denver, the winner of last season.

If Minnesota had Garnett in the 2003-2004 season, Anthony Edwards this season.

Edwards, who was selected by Minnesota as the first overall rookie draft pick in 2020, scored 43 points alone on the day and became the top contributor to his team's victory.

Minnesota has been eliminated in the first round since Edwards has reached the playoffs for the last two consecutive years, where he has become the center of the team, but this season, it is also looking to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Minnesota's Naz Reid, who won the Sixman Award this season, scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns was in foul trouble for his fifth foul in the middle of the fourth quarter, but instead, the lead that came in opened the scoring at every crisis.

In the 84-84 tie, Reed scored five consecutive points with a putback dunk following a three-point shot, and another three-pointer with 4:20 left in the end, when Denver followed by a three-point deficit again.

In Minnesota, in addition to Edwards with 43 points, Towns scored 20 points, and veteran guard Mike Conley (14 points, 10 assists) also played a double-double.

On April 29, Minnesota coach Chris Finch, who had surgery on his knee after colliding with Conley during Game 4 of the first round against Phoenix, came to the stadium on crutches and sat on the bench to lead the game.

However, coach Mikanori ran the overall game, including operation instructions at the time-out.

Denver, which beat Minnesota 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs last season, fell to its knees due to poor accuracy of its unique fielding, with Nikola Jokic scoring 32 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds in a rematch in a year. 토토사이트

The second game between the two teams will be held at the same place on the 7th.