Anthony Edwards scored 43 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves won Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets in the NBA play-offs.
Reigning champions Denver were coming off the back of a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round while the Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns 4-0.
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The eagerly anticipated Western Conference semi-final lived up to the hype on opening night, with Edwards scoring his second-straight 40-point play-off game.
The Timberwolves ran out 106-99 winners and while all of the attention was on two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, there should have been some more focus on how to stop the 22-year-old from Atlanta.
Minnesota takes a 1-0 lead in the West Semis behind 43 from Anthony Edwards!
The #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel continue Sunday on ABC! pic.twitter.com/ItOHIzZQ0q
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2024
He scored 25 of his team’s 40 points in the first half before going on to become the player with the second-most 35-point play-off games before turning 23.
It was a fascinating battle to watch and Edwards certainly got the better of Jokic and he added a touch of class by praising him after the game.
He said: “Going against the best player in the world is always fun.
“Going against the best team is always fun. I lost to these guys last year and they’re the defending champs … it’s going to be a fight.”
For the Nuggets, Jamal Murray struggled to make an impact and was doubtful in the days leading up to the game.
He suited up in the final match against the Lakers and hit the game-winner but has been suffering from a calf issue.
Murray featured for 34 minutes but only scored 17 points and four assists, compared to the 32 he got at the end of April against the Nuggets round-one opponents.
Anthony Edwards puts on a show and drops a playoff career-high to lift the @Timberwolves to the Game 1 win in Denver!
Karl-Anthony Towns: 20 PTS (8-13 FGM), 4 REB
Naz Reid: 16 PTS (14 in 4Q), 4 REB
Nikola Jokic: 32 PTS, 8 REB, 9 AST, 3 STLGame 2: Monday, 10pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/iirmYPip3j
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2024
There is only one day of rest between Game 1 and Game 2 so the 27-year-old will be hoping his side do not fall to a 2-0 deficit before heading back to Minneapolis.
Whereas the Lakers looked to have an inferiority complex against the Nuggets, the Timberwolves looked up for the challenge.
They kept Jokic relatively quiet – although he did tally 32 points and nine assists – and will need to do so if they are to have a chance of getting past the No.2 seed.
