2024 NBA Playoffs: West Semifinals: #2 Denver Nuggets vs #3 Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN WINS 4-3)

[ChipotleWest]

LOL comparing a heat pack being thrown on the court to murder. Listen to yourself mannnn

Well you're defending someone for throwing things on the court, which to my knowledge has never been done before. No one was stupid enough to do it. "but you can't suspend him because it's the playoffs".

So you can pretty much do anything and get away with it because, it's the playoffs.

Or perhaps it's just a player throwing something on the court? It's not that big of a deal.

Suspending players for nonsense, reducing overall talent on the floor is a terrible idea

When has that happened before? If you can show me multiple examples I'll change my mind. Otherwise Jamal was arrogant enough to do something that's never been done before because he was mad and he gets the built in excuse of "well can't suspend him, it's the playoffs".

[Statlanta]

I’m just feeling that the adrenaline and focus from losing Finch is dying down.

[___Rand___]

You know what's amazing. We knew Twolves' defense wasn't good in the 1st half. You'd think ok, they'd make some adjustments, slow down Nuggets in 3rd. Nope, their defense got worse.

[jehosafats]

I'm really not sure what's happening in this game. I feel like the whistles early on established what type of game this would be. Active hands on defense will cost you possessions. That has not only hurt Minny defensively, their offense has suffered too.

[JustBuzzin]

If you didn't see this coming you just blind.

4 days off, Murray not suspended and a chance to get that calf some rest. Tim Legler in the building. Minny got the memo get down or lay down.

Series is back on boyz!

Jokic comes back down from 0-2 he proves Shaq wrong. Goes on to win his 2nd straight championship. Storylines people you don't get any better than this!

[jscott]

The Wolves are a story.

But make no mistake. They're fouling every possession. That viral video of Murray being doubled is just loaded with fouls that would normally be called.

Minnesota has defensive talent, but they absolutely are playing the foul every possession and dare the refs to call it brand of defense Miami has shown to be tolerable by the league in the post season.

Question becomes if Denver pushes back. A good, physical defense will give the Wolves absolute fits, and will be their downfall either in the conference finals or the finals.

Don't think Denver is healthy enough to match physicality though.

Tell me you don’t watch the Wolves without telling me you don’t watch the Wolves.

We get the WORST whistle. No Techs for any Nuggets player but Ant gets one for LOOKING at a guy. If you think we are doing this with the refs’ help you need to watch the games closer.

Stop.

Take your own advice.

You have multiple people telling you you’re full of ****. Maybe listen to em instead of burying your head.

[tmorgan]

You can leave Jokic in to make smart plays, run the clock, be a leader, etc…

but it’s criminally stupid to have Murray and KCP out there. WTF, Malone.

[jokeboy86]

Gobert needs to step up next game. Otherwise what was the point of that big trade? He is a 4 time DPOY. It's time to start playing like it.

I don’t know what to make of the two games he played being a competitive win and a blowout loss and then the game he misses being a blowout win

[Manimal]

I'm really not sure what's happening in this game. I feel like the whistles early on established what type of game this would be. Active hands on defense will cost you possessions. That has not only hurt Minny defensively, their offense has suffered too.

Not being able to freely hack the **** out of Denver definitely made things harder on Minnesota.

[TimberKat]

The Wolves should honestly just bench Gobert for the rest of the series. They're much better without him.

I guess you only watched two Twolves games all season. The entire team sucked today. They lose tonight with or without Gobert.

[jokeboy86]

Porter can shoot his ass off. Man

[OldSchoolNoBull]

Absolutely sour grapes, but I am still pretty disgusted that Jamal Murray wasn’t suspended.

My feeling is that I don't want playoff series, and potentially championships, to be decided by suspensions. Perhaps he deserved it, but if so, at least let him serve it at the beginning of next regular season.

So you don’t want suspensions under any circumstances? Just seems like a silly stance to take. If Murray walks up and punches the ref then it’s all good, just let him serve the suspension next year?

I get you enjoy the Nuggets but part of the game is not doing dumb stuff


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Absolutely sour grapes, but I am still pretty disgusted that Jamal Murray wasn’t suspended.

My feeling is that I don't want playoff series, and potentially championships, to be decided by suspensions. Perhaps he deserved it, but if so, at least let him serve it at the beginning of next regular season.

He threw multiple things on the court that could have injured players, he had no reason to do so except stupidity. Is there no limit to what you can do to where they league should just excuse it because it's the playoffs?

I mean your logic is sound but what about his logic? Why would you risk getting suspended because you're angry?

There seems to be some disagreement over whether or not he was actually trying to hurt anyone and how close you actually came to hurting anyone...if there is any room for debate there, I wouldn't want the outcome of the series to hinge on it.

Yes, there are probably certain things that are so egregious that there is no possible way to look beyond them(like the example of punching a ref), but I just am not sure this is one of them.

The opposing team shouldn't want it either, because it would put an asterisk on whatever they accomplish. Think of the 2016 Cavs - all the credit in the world for what they did in those Finals, but until the end of time they and their fans are going to have to hear "if Draymond hadn't been suspended...". And I say that as someone who thinks Draymond has done some dirty crap and who was rooting for the Cavs by the end of that series.

Also think about the 1997 Knicks having their series vs the Heat torpedoed after the PJ Brown brawl, when most of those Knicks players didn't do anything but leave the bench when they weren't supposed to. Or the 2007 Suns' suspensions for a similar reason.

[Patches Perry]

That MPJ three just won my parlay! Woo!

[AleksandarN]

Jokic directing the defense

[___Rand___]

I’m just feeling that the adrenaline and focus from losing Finch is dying down.

No, it was Gobert's absence. They knew they had to focus doubly hard to stay in the game without DPOY. And they did. And smothered Nuggets. It's not the same focus. I'm not seeing guys covering another teammate when they go and help or make a risky defensive play, I am seeing too many open guys from Nuggets, people being left open in corners, etc etc. The effort, the focus, just isn't there.

[Sgt Major]

Dear Malone,

Why are the starters still in?

[Statlanta]

Jalen running his fast break route out of bounds like what are we doing

[oaf54]

You can leave Jokic in to make smart plays, run the clock, be a leader, etc…

but it’s criminally stupid to have Murray and KCP out there. WTF, Malone.

Yeah, and the young guys need some playoff action, I would put in Watson, Braun and Strawther at this point.

[zeebneeb]

Wolves are getting wrecked. Damn. Reality check.

They have to come out guns blazing game 4, or they are doomed.

[SweaterBae]

Why are all the starters still in?