Minnesota played a dangerous game to start the series.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to have a game this series where he makes five or six 3s, if that\u2019s going to be the coverage,\u201d Nuggets coach David Adelman said Sunday.<\/p>\n
Defending Nikola Jokic often comes down to what the opponent is willing to concede. For Chris Finch\u2019s team, that was Jokic jumpers. The three-time Most Valuable Player\u2019s first three shots in Saturday\u2019s Game 1 were wide-open 3-pointers. Rudy Gobert\u2019s closeouts were casual, at best.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m open, I\u2019m going to shoot it,\u201d Jokic said after Saturday\u2019s game. \u201cIf I\u2019m not open, I\u2019m just going to play the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Timberwolves stuck with the strategy even after Jokic made two of his first three attempts from 3. The gamble paid off, as Jokic, who shot 38% from deep in the regular season, finished 2 of 7. He still started the postseason with a 25-point triple-double.<\/p>\n
It was a disjointed offensive effort as a whole for Denver outside of the second quarter. The Nuggets had as many turnovers, six, as field goals made in the first quarter. Jokic was credited with three of the giveaways, but the box score doesn\u2019t tell the whole story.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of guys stopped short, and you can\u2019t do that in the NBA,\u201d Adelman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou make your decision. Whether that decision is the best or the worst decision, you have to do it 100%. There was three different occasions where you could say it\u2019s his turnover, because that\u2019s what the stat sheet says, but it\u2019s a team turnover. \u2026\u00a0 I thought guys were overthinking. They were stopping short, trying to change the cut they had committed themselves to, and that put him in a weird rhythm. I think he started to be a little more careful with the ball, which makes sense, because we were giving them run-out dunks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adelman\u2019s team benefited from a more decisive second quarter. The Nuggets went 11 of 16 from the field, 6 of 8 from 3 and 11 of 12 on free throws to drop 39 points to make up for the sluggish start.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur team, in general, offensively, didn\u2019t really have a good rhythm until probably the middle of the second. We made shots in that quarter, but we also looked like ourselves. Early (we were) very disjointed, and that\u2019s just not us,\u201d Adelman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoping for a much better start tomorrow, offensively, just with the flow \u2013 not the types of shots. We got good shots, but we just didn\u2019t look like ourselves. It\u2019s an exercise in just commitment when you play offensive basketball in the NBA.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Nuggets survived a 1-for-17 mark from 3-point range after halftime. The Nuggets went cold after Aaron Gordon connected from the corner in the middle of the third quarter.<\/p>\n
Defending Jokic the same way throughout a series is also a dangerous game. He won\u2019t spend much time overthinking the coverage that could come his way Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you play, I don\u2019t think you have time to do that,\u201d Jokic said. \u201cWhen I play, I\u2019m just reacting to what happens on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
<\/p>\n