The defending champion Denver Nuggets outgunned the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-107 to level their NBA playoff series on Sunday as the Indiana Pacers pulled even with the New York Knicks.
The Nuggets, fueled by 35 points from NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon’s 27 points on ruthlessly efficient 11-of-12 shooting and 19 points from Jamal Murray, claimed a second straight win in Minneapolis to knot their best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series at two games apiece.
The Pacers dismantled the Knicks 121-89 in Indianapolis to level their Eastern Conference semi-final at 2-2.
“Now it’s best of three,” Jokic said, adding that the Timberwolves’ stunning victories in games one and two in Denver had only strengthened the defending champions.
“We took a hit and we bounced back and hopefully we can defend the home court now,” said Jokic, looking forward to game five in Denver on Tuesday.
The Nuggets withstood a 44-point performance from Anthony Edwards, but the Timberwolves star just didn’t have enough scoring support despite an energetic effort from the hosts.
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 13 points but was 0-for-7 in the first quarter, when the Nuggets closed the period on a 14-2 run to seize a five-point lead.
Edwards’ dunk with less than a minute left in the first half cut what had been a 16-point deficit to seven.
Jokic then came up with a steal and fed Michael Porter Jr. for a dunk and Murray grabbed a steal, turned and unleashed a buzzer-beating shot from beyond the halfcourt line that swished through and sent the Nuggets into the break with a 64-49 lead.
Murray scored 12 points in the third quarter to keep the Nuggets in control as early foul trouble sent Jokic to the bench.
