3 keys for Timberwolves' Game 3 vs. Nuggets

What do the Wolves have to do to take a 3-0 series lead?

May 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3 between the Timberwolves and Nuggets is arguably the most important basketball game played at the Target Center in 20 years. What do the Wolves have to do to come out on top?

1. Start fast

Emotions are going to be running high and the fans at the Target Center will be raucous. The Timberwolves need to feed off the energy and make their presence felt. The Denver Nuggets are defending NBA champs for a reason and they know that nobody has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, so this is essentially a must-win game.

Denver should be playing their best basketball as soon as the ball is tipped, so Minnesota needs to match their energy. The Wolves are 3-3 in the first quarters this postseason and while the third quarter might be more imperative to their success, a fast start will go a long way in neutralizing emotions in Game 3.

2. Continue making Jamal Murray uncomfortable

Game 2 was Murray's first postseason game in single digits since 2019 in the first round vs. the Spurs. His eight-point performance, shooting 3-of-18 from the field, was one of the worst nights of his postseason career. Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker's defense frustrated him so much that he threw a towel and heating pad in the direction of an official.

While three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic will almost always get his, the Nuggets do not have a tertiary shot creator outside of Murray. When he was off his game on Monday night, they looked lost and didn't know who to look for to make a big play. Making him uncomfortable can make the Nuggets one-dimensional.

3. Rudy Gobert

Stars like Gobert going in and out of the lineup can be really tough for teams to handle, especially this deep in the postseason. The Timberwolves did not care and they did not skip a beat without Gobert in Game 2, which he missed due to the birth of his child. Getting him back in the lineup can almost be as tricky as playing without him.

By the time Game 3 tips off, the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year will have not played a game in six days. Minnesota is obviously at its best when Gobert is in the lineup, but making sure that he gets into the flow of the game early will be imperative to the Minnesota freight train not missing a beat.