Rudy Gobert on not being named a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year: “Not the first time I get disrespected, probably not the last.”
Asked about how he stopped Jokic late. Joked that “I got lucky.”
I think the Timberwolves performance in postgame interviews topped their performance on the floor tonight.
The video
Jaden McDaniels, deadpan delivery, on what worked for the Timberwolves offensively.
Jaden: “Go at Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders. Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, their whole team.”
Q: They’re all bad defenders?
Jaden: “Yeah, they’re all bad defenders.”
Wolves have been really good with challenges all year, that one was dubious from the start.
It's game like this that are also why whoever wins this series may have nothing left for the next round.
Both teams are 29-62 from the floor.
Jokic wanted a delay of game on Ant there, didn't get it.
The absence of Gobert catching up now to the Wolves, who can't guard Jokic this quarter.
We've gotten to the point in the game in which Tony Brothers has had enough and starts waving people back to their benches.
Timberwolves are 9-for-15 at the line.
Sometimes, there are moments in a series where you feel as if series are truly won or lost in that game and the rest is playing out the string ... Game 4 vs. OKC, Game 3 GSW, Game 4 Lakers, Game 2 Dallas in 2024.
This feels like one of those games.
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Wolves had been so great attacking the rim all quarter then the last three possessions here they just settled for threes.
NOW, Anthony Edwards is looking like his old self.
Well, they've done what they had to do with Jokic off the floor. Cut the lead to 8.
That was a long way to get 4 points on one possession.
Wolves down 39-25 after one. Fight back or let go of the rope? We'll see.
Bones Hyland picks up his third foul, a charge when the Wolves had a 3-on-1 fast break.
I'm far away in the arena. Not watching the game on TV so can't tell.
They've also made the shots too. So foul or no foul, three points for the blue team.
The Timberwolves have fouled Denver while shooting threes three times this quarter and Denver has made each of them. Murray twice and now Hardaway.
Bad Wolves offense leading to transition for Denver, who is up 17-11 early.
Nickeil!
This is a totally fair criticism of the state of officiating - flopping and embellishing contact is rewarded.
But I don’t love that it’s one of the main topics since Denver (Murray specifically) was much more aggressive at attacking defenders and the Wolves ( Ant/Julius) were too passive.
Then Finch he sometimes doesn't know what to tell players when it seems like they defended a play the right way.
Then he added: "Maybe we ought to start flopping too."
Chris Finch with thoughts on state of officating: "The league is in a place right now where you draw the contact, you spill away & you get rewarded. Guys who try to play through contact, that 1st level of contact, and stay with the drive & all that, they tend not to be rewarded."
Little bit of Anthony Edwards and others at shootaround … shooting around.
It qualifies if they play it at Catholic mass!
I knew I’d have it lower than the consensus
