With 3 minutes, 41 seconds left in the game, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards dribbled between his legs a few times before taking a step back and launching a sky-high 3-pointer.
Nothing but net.
It was that kind of game at Ball Arena on Wednesday night as the T-Wolves routed the defenseless Nuggets, 124-107.
Denver coach Michael Malone was unhappy. Unhappy with the lack of pressure defense and unhappy with 17 turnovers that led to 25 Timberwolves points.
“We didn’t guard Anthony Edwards all night long,” Malone said. “And from the get-go, and all the way throughout, we didn’t play good defense. And (that was) too many turnovers against a team that thrives off that.”
Minnesota, which halted a 12-game losing steak to Denver, shot 23 for 48 from beyond the arc. Edwards finished with a game-high 38 points, shooting 14 of 21 from the field, including 10 of 14 on 3-pointers.
Edwards became the youngest player in NBA history to hit 10 threes in a game, eclipsing Kyrie Irving. His 10 three-pointers also set a Minnesota franchise record.
“They didn’t feel us,” Malone said. “Anthony Edwards had zero free-throw attempts. He just danced with the ball and made three after three, and we just refused to get into him. We kept guarding him like he was 0 for 14. I mean, 10 3s?
“But give them credit, they shot lights out. They were the more physical team and the more aggressive team.”
Trailing most of the night, the Nuggets needed a fantastic finish. It never arrived. The closest Denver got was 110-98 with 5:45 remaining.
The one bit of good news for Denver was the performance by Nikola Jokic, who posted the 63rd triple-double of his career, moving him past James Harden for the seventh-most in NBA history. Jokic scored a team-high 27 points, with 10 rebounds and 11 assists in 35 minutes.
Mostly, it was an ugly night for the Nuggets, who looked out of rhythm from the opening tipoff. Already hobbled by a slew of injuries, and without Bones Hyland, who sat out Wednesday’s game for violating team rules, they also saw another player go down.
With a little more than 9 minutes left in the game, Denver lost guard Markus Howard to a hyper-extended left knee. He was injured scrambling for a loose ball along the sidelines. Howard had to be helped to the locker room and was unable to put any weight on his left leg.
“He’s doing good, he’s tough,” forward Zeke Nnaji said. “We don’t know what the diagnosis is yet, but we are all with him.”
Added Malone: “He will probably be getting some testing. I’m just hoping and praying that’s it’s nothing severe.”
The Timberwolves — inspired by Steph Curry, the NBA’s new, all-time 3-point champion, perhaps? — simply went off in the first half. They took 29 3-pointers, draining 16 of them. Those 16 3s were the most in the first half in Minnesota franchise history, and the most by any team during a first half this season.
The Nuggets, who have prided themselves on their defense, trailed 75-61 after two quarters. The 75 points were the most Denver has given up in the first half this season, topping the 74 they surrendered at San Antonio in a 123-111 loss last Thursday.
The first quarter played out like a pick-up game and the Timberwolves took full advantage.
Consistently finding wide-open spots on the perimeter, the Timberwolves drained nine of their 13 3-point shots to take a 40-32 lead. Midway through the first quarter, Minnesota led 29-13.
Edwards made 3 of 4 3-pointers en route to 11 points.
The Nuggets 12-game winning streak vs. Minnesota dated back to the 2018 season. That matched the longest winning streak vs. one team in franchise history — but it’s over now.
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