Wolves defeat Nuggets in Western Conference semis Game 1 to steal home-court advantage

Anthony Edwards scored 43 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 20, and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated Denver 106-99 in Game 1 of a Western Conference semifinal series on Saturday night.

Naz Reid scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, Mike Conley added 14 points and 10 assists, and Rudy Gobert grabbed 13 rebounds for Minnesota, who begin the postseason 5-0.

Game 2 is scheduled for Monday night in Denver.

Jokic scored 32 points, Porter added 20, and Murray finished with 17, all in the second half, for the Nuggets, who are trailing in a playoff series for the first time since losing in the first round to the Golden State Warriors in 2022.

It was a close game early in the fourth, but the Timberwolves remained composed down the stretch.

Conley made his third 3-pointer of the game, giving Minnesota an 80-77 lead, but Murray responded from deep and was fouled by Towns. He then completed the four-point play.

Edwards, who had 25 points in the first half, restored the Timberwolves' lead with a driving layup through traffic and an 18-foot pullup. With 4:20 remaining, Reid hit two 3-pointers, converted a layup, and dunked on an Edwards miss to give Minnesota a 94-88 lead.

Jokic converted a three-pointer, but the Timberwolves quickly took control of the game. Gobert made a layup and a 13-footer, while Edwards converted two free throws. Porter committed an offensive foul, and Edwards' 14-foot fadeaway made the score 102-91 with 1:36 remaining.

With 1:02 remaining, Jokic's 3-pointer cut Denver's deficit to 102-96, but the Timberwolves sealed the victory.

Minnesota led 18-4 with 5:12 remaining in the first quarter, but the Nuggets stepped up their defence. They forced seven turnovers and limited the Timberwolves to 22 points in the final 17 minutes of the first half, leading 44-40 at halftime.

Towns and Conley each scored 11 points in the third quarter, helping Minnesota lead 73-71 heading into the fourth.

SportsLigue