Never underestimate the heart of a champion.
The Denver Nuggets entered the weekend with their backs against the wall. They had fallen into a 2-0 hole after dropping the first two games of this potential seven-game series at home. They responded like champions in Game 3 and blew the Minnesota Timberwolves out in front of their home fans. Still, the Nuggets needed another one. Letting Minnesota go up 3-1 would make the road to repeating as champions that much tougher.
"I love it when people count us out," said Aaron Gordon.
They got it in Game 4, defeating the Timberwolves, 115-107, on the road. It was an incredible game, in all honesty, as both teams went back and forth in a classic playoff battle. However, it was the Nuggets who held on in the very end in a performance for the ages.
"Never underestimate the heart of a champion. They were quick to write us off, but these guys won a championship a year ago. We went into Miami [in the 2023 NBA Finals] and won two games in a row," said head coach Michael Malone. "Like, this team has been tested time and time again, and we found a way to solve whatever has been thrown at us.
"This series is a long way from being over. We're not celebrating, it's 2-2. So, now you have to find a way to win Game 5. But what I found about our group is that they do believe in themselves, and more importantly, they believe in the man next to them."
Nikola Jokić had a legendary Game 4 with 35 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, and 3 steals. The numbers don't even do it justice. That was a showcase we'll look at years from now when reminiscing over Nikola's greatness. A legacy-defining performance. He went 15-of-26 from the field and figured out Minnesota's double-big defense.
"He's the best basketball player in the world. A three-time MVP," Gordon said.
Speaking of Gordon, he had a masterful two-way performance with 27 points on 92 percent shooting (11-of-12 from the field), 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steals. He's the first player to ever put up those numbers in a playoff game. Gordon also held the Timberwolves to 3-of-14 shooting collectively and limited Timberwolves superstar, Anthony Edwards, to 1-of-5 shooting.
"He was our best player tonight," said Jokić. "He was doing everything. He doesn't take credit, but he was a really big factor in us winning the championship last year and playing this good this year. Sometimes, he's gonna score a lot; sometimes he's not gonna score at all, and he's good with that. That's why he's really good at his job."
Jamal Murray also pitched in 19 points for Denver, including an improbable buzzer-beater at halftime.
"That was crazy, man, a Jamal Murray three-quarter court three. So sick," Gordon said through a chuckle after the game.
The Nuggets shot a combined 57 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from three-point range. They basically could not miss. Their bench outscored Minnesota's, 27-12, thanks to a trio of huge three-pointers from Justin Holiday and 11 massive points from Christian Braun. 57 percent shooting is Denver's eighth-highest in playoff history and their second-highest ever in a road playoff game.
"I think everybody that played contributed to this game," said Gordon. "It was a collective, full-team effort, and that's what we're going to need."
It was clear early that we were due for a Jokić masterclass. Nikola reached 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting before the break by repeatedly shredding Minnesota's single-coverage. The Timberwolves went on a 14-6 run at the end of the second quarter to shrink Denver's lead from 16 points to 7, but then, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a massive three-pointer. Edwards turned the ball over the next possession, leading to a Michael Porter Jr. dunk, and Jamal Murray was able to steal the inbound pass and nail the buzzer-beater before the halftime break to give Denver a 64-49 lead.
That 8-0 run in 20 seconds wound up being the difference-maker. Denver won Game 4 by... yup... 8 points.
The Timberwolves came out of the halftime break with some punch and went on a 13-5 run, but some big pull-up jumpers from Murray kept Denver ahead by double-digits. Murray scored 12 points in the period. Minnesota went on an 8-0 run and got Denver's lead down to 8 points at the halfway point of the fourth quarter, but then the Nuggets went to their patented two-man game between Jokić and Murray. That set put Jokić in position to make two huge floaters, and then a sensational pass from Jokić to Gordon around two defenders made it a 12-point game.
Now, Denver heads back to the Mile High City with a chance to take its first lead in the series. They've reclaimed their homecourt advantage after looking dead in the water.
Heart of a champion.