The Denver Nuggets had their worst performance of the season in Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Michael Malone wasn’t pleased.

For the second consecutive game, the reigning NBA champions faced a complete shutdown, enduring a 106-80 defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2. Despite being the league’s top-ranked defensive team, they were outplayed by the Timberwolves, who seized home-court advantage with a dominant performance in Denver.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone didn’t sugarcoat his assessment of his team’s performance on Monday night. The Nuggets found themselves trailing by as many as 32 points against the Timberwolves and never seemed to gain control of the game. In the aftermath of the disappointing loss, Malone addressed the media, addressing his team’s lackluster performance.

“The body language of our guys is not where I think it needs to be. We got beat up in our building. We got embarrassed in front of our fans.” – Michael Malone

Denver was initially favored to win this game, particularly with the absence of the Timberwolves’ key player and Defensive Player of the Year hopeful, Rudy Gobert, who was sidelined due to the birth of his son. Gobert’s presence is crucial to Minnesota’s strategy, yet despite his absence, the team showcased a defensive masterclass. There were moments when it appeared that the Nuggets were completely drained of energy.

Upon observation, it was evident that the Timberwolves were asserting dominance in all aspects of the game, a fact further emphasized by the statistical data.

In Game 2, Denver’s offensive output hit a season-low, managing just 80 points. This trend isn’t new when facing off against the Timberwolves, as the Nuggets have failed to surpass the 100-point mark in four of their last six matchups.

The Nuggets struggled to counter the Timberwolves’ relentless defensive pressure throughout the entire game. Coach Malone acknowledged this fact succinctly when addressing the media: “We got out-coached; we got outplayed. You can feel sorry for yourself, or you can do whatever you can to try to be better come Game 3.”

While the defending champions have encountered various challenges, none have been as formidable as the Timberwolves. Minnesota’s size and cohesion on both ends of the court make them a formidable opponent for the Nuggets. It’s clear that adjustments will be necessary for Denver to mount a comeback in this series.

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Denver faces a daunting challenge as they turn their attention to Game 3 in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves’ advancement to the second round for the first time since 2004 adds another layer of difficulty, with the home-court advantage amplifying the task of securing a win in Minnesota.

In the game of basketball, adjustments are key, and thus far, the Timberwolves have demonstrated their superiority in this aspect. Despite the absence of Rudy Gobert, the team recognized the collective effort needed to compensate for his defensive prowess on the court.

Sixth Man of the Year, Naz Reid, delivered an outstanding individual performance in guarding Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić. However, it was the team’s cohesive defensive strategy that truly shone. The Timberwolves boast a plethora of exceptional defensive players, enabling them to approach defense differently from other teams.

Jokić’s threat lies in his ability to find open teammates when faced with a second defender. Recognizing this, Minnesota employed double teams on the Serbian big man whenever he received the ball in the post. Yet, their success extended beyond these initial actions, as they executed seamless rotations and effective closeouts, effectively stifling any offensive rhythm the Nuggets sought to establish.

On top of the stellar defense on Jokić, any impact Jamal Murray could have on offense was eliminated due to exceptional perimeter defense. Timberwolves guard, Nickeil Alexander-Walker had one of the best games of his career, primarily with his defense of Murray. Both players reside in Canada and the familiarity between the two showed from Alexander-Walker’s ability to stick with Murray, no matter the move.

Murray shot an abysmal 3-18 from the field, finishing with eight points on the night, which is the second-lowest point total in a playoff game in his career.

The Timberwolves made the reigning champions look like a completely different team than the NBA has grown accustomed to. However, Malone had some words for the fans following the loss.

“Stay with us. Believe in us.” – Micheal Malone

The series is far from over, as many teams in recent memory have come back from a 0-2 deficit. However, in the history of the NBA, only 7.3 percent of teams have managed to flip the script after losing the first two games of the series. Denver will look to inch their way closer to a comeback in Game 3 on Friday, May 10, at 9:30 PM ET.