Will Murray make up ground against the Timberwolves?
The first day of the 2023 NBA Playoffs brought surprising home losses for some favorites, but the best team in the West after the regular season from Denver, on the other hand, did not show any weakness in the opener against Minnesota. Instead, they handed their opponents a blowout with a 29-point difference.
Denver Nuggets – statistics & current form
Denver has had to do without Jamal Murray in each of the past two postseasons. Now, however, the point guard is back in place and the Mile-High City will be hoping he can build on his very good performances from the 2020 playoffs.
Back then, Murray averaged no less than 26.5 points and more than six successful assists per game. Thanks in large part to those performances, head coach Michael Malone’s team surprisingly advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where the Nuggets fell to the eventual champions in the form of the Lakers.
His 24 points in the most recent game against Minnesota were already strong and represented the best output of all players on the court. Murray also dished out eight assists – another top score in the match.
Jokic continues to be unstoppable
Furthermore, the home side will once again also rely on their superstar Nikola Jokic. The MVP of the last two seasons fell just a hair short of a season-high triple-double in the regular season with 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists!
Minnesota Timberwolves – stats & current form
Minnesota will have to improve considerably if they are to make a run at staying in the postseason. The first game was a real debacle from the visitors’ point of view.
It was obvious that the team was not as physically fresh as the opponent due to the additional games from the play-in tournament last week. The Timberwolves are also still without Jaden McDaniels due to injury, which means that the visitors’ defense is once again weakened.
Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves Tip
For Game 2 between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves on 04/20/2024, the betting and odds on more than 22.5 points by Jamal Murray are worth considering. The guard missed the past two postseasons due to serious injuries. In the first game of the current playoffs, you could tell that he is now extra motivated in his comeback on the NBA’s most important stage.
Furthermore, Murray should now perform even more efficiently. Towards the end of the regular season he again missed two games due to injury and by playing the series opener against Minnesota he gained competitive practice again.
