Tonight, the Minnesota Timberwolves came in with their heads high looking like a serious team, all set to win the Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the reigning champions, Denver Nuggets. After all, at one point they were the only team who had not lost even a single game in the first series of the playoffs. They even managed to dominate the Nuggets, getting a 2-1 lead against them on their home court.

But then the Nuggets aren’t also going to back down. They have a lot of hunger left in them, which they clearly displayed in Game 3 after getting swept by Anthony Edwards and co, twice Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray took it upon themselves to finish the game with 48 points combined to get a hold against the Wolves. Things got a little interesting then. But with Game 4, the Wolves will have a lot to lose, which is probably why TNT analyst Charles Barkley jumped in to push the Wolves’ cause further. Just moments before tip-off, he argued that if the Wolves drop Game 4, they might lose the series and it will be a lot of “trouble” for them.

Moments before the tip-off, Barkley, alongside the Inside Guys, said, “If they lose this game tonight, they’re in trouble… The Champs gonna have their confidence back, obviously gonna get the home court back”. 

Barkley further added, “This game, to me, is a must-win for the Wolves tonight… They have never been here before… Their best player is still like 27-year-old and he can’t let down.”

Game 4 is pivotal for 2 reasons. One, it will push the Wolves to just 1 more victory away from the Conference Finals. And two, defeating the Nuggets would given them their home court back. For that to happen, Barkley referred to Karl-Anthony Towns (28) as the 27-year-old star to step up for the side.

In the previous game, KAT shot his career worst 1-of-10 during the first half of the game. In the end he fninshed the game with just 13 points and 12 rebounds. Edwards don’t he other hand has been taking the onus of most of the things. He’s been putting up a show after show, powering the Minnesota side, scoring 9 of the first 15 points their team scored in the initial minutes. He’s been constantly under pressure, while shooting 16 of 25 from the field. Others just didn’t seem to be supporting him that much.

Importantly, he took the blame for the Game 3 loss. He said, “It’s on me, I’ll take the blame for this loss…I can’t afford to do that, not for my team. I let my team, coaches, and the fans down. I’ll be ready Sunday.” Apart from that, he also dropped a stern statement, saying, “They won one game, we’re gonna try to win the next game. It’s the first to four games, it’s not the first to one.”

ANT is a refreshing face in the league. The 22YO is taking up a lot of accountability, even when he was not the one to be blamed for the loss. So, his team’s lack of energy or mere distractions turned into a chance for Edwards to step up as an unspoken hero. But he did manage to send a warning to the Nuggets through his apology for the previous game. On Sunday, Edwards can most definitely look ahead to engage the home crowd and get more command on his team. If this pans out, there’s nothing that could beat them from winning.

The Nuggets dictate Game 4, despite Anthony Edwards’ 44-point flurry

Despite Barkley’s warning, the Nuggets seemed to have taken control of the game. Nikola Jokić, along with Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, completely took charge of the first half, with a steady lead throughout. Notably, Murray made a massive dent by dropping a buzzer-beater at halftime from the half-court, which expanded the lead to 15 points.

On the other hand, Anthony Edwards didn’t get much support from the rest of the roster. The second fiddle Town, who was expected to step up for the rising superstar, dropped only 3 points in the first half. Apart from that, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, and Jaden McDaniels couldn’t make an impact to chase down the lead.

Jamal Murray, who had a tough night shooting the ball in the first two games, turned back the clock and brought out his Lakers series energy, shooting around 50% from the field. Would the Wolves put up a fight in the second half and win Game 3? Or would the Nuggets level the series at 2-2 and take down the next game at their home? Well, they silenced the Wolves fans again with a comprehensive 115-107 win.

Jokic spearheaded the attack with 115-107, supported by Aaron Gordon’s crystal clear 27 points with an 11-12 FG.

On the other hand, Edwards’ lonely effort of 44 points didn’t get enough backing from his teammates. Will this mark the beginning of Wolves’ downfall in this season? Let us know in the comments.