Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 11 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves kept their season alive with a dramatic 114-108 overtime win against the Denver Nuggets Sunday night.
Rudy Gobert added 14 points and 15 rebounds for Minnesota, which held on after Denver scored the final 12 points of regulation to force overtime. Mike Conley had 19 points for the Timberwolves. Game 5 is Tuesday in Denver.
Nikola Jokic tied a playoff career high with 43 points and added 11 rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets, who were looking for the four-game sweep. They now have a 3-1 series lead.
Jamal Murray finished with 19 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver, which looked prime to have a chance to rest before the second round where it would face the winner of the Suns-Clippers series, which Phoenix leads 3-1.
Minnesota lost in the first round to Memphis last year, surrendering three double-digit, fourth-quarter leads.This time, Jokic took another Wolves’ lead away. With Gordon playing the backup center minutes, the Nuggets didn’t just survive, they outscored Minnesota without Jokic by six points.
Edwards, who put together several electrifying moments in his first All-Star season, resurrected Minnesota in the third as the Timberwolves went on a 23-9 run. Edwards scored 16 of his points in the quarter and the Timberwolves eventually led by 12 midway through the fourth.
The 21-year-old Edwards took a step forward this year while Towns missed 52 games with a calf strain. He took over the scoring load for Minnesota and was supported by his veteran teammates, who implored the athletic youngster to take control in games.
The Nuggets were pressed to a fifth game, but they still look like a team primed for a long playoff run. They also might have found an answer to their biggest issue: surviving when the two-time MVP Jokic isn’t on the floor.
