The second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs will continue on Sunday and the slate will close with the Denver Nuggets visiting the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game 4 of their best-of-seven series. Tipoff for this Western Conference showdown is set for 8 p.m. ET and the game will air on TNT.
After getting rocked in the first two games, Denver flipped the script with a 117-90 victory over Minnesota on Friday to cut the series deficit to 2-1. The defending champions held firm control in Game 3 from the end of the first quarter onward as newly christened three-time MVP Nikola Jokic delivered 24 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.
The Nuggets’ dominant win on Friday can simply be attributed to a better shooting performance from the field. They shot over 50% and held the Timberwolves to under 50%, which was the reverse of what happened in the prior two matchups of the series. When it comes to the Four Factors per Basketball Reference, the champs are winning in turnover percentage, offensive rebounding percentage, and free throw percentage. The Wolves could be in danger if they allow Denver to improve in effective field goal percentage, so we’ll see if they’ll lock in defensively this evening.
On the injury front, Jamal Murray (calf), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (abdominal), and Reggie Jackson (calf) are all listed as questionable for Game 4.
Minnesota is listed as a 2.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 204.5. The Timberwolves are listed as a -142 moneyline favorite, making the Nuggets a +120 underdog.
Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Nuggets +2.5
Reports of Denver’s demise were a bit premature and the champs finally woke up on Friday. As mentioned before, the failures of Games 1 and 2 can be attributed to them being out of sync on offense and they were able to regroup. We saw how the Nuggets responded to getting punched in the mouth and now its time to see how the Wolves’ respond to a tough night. I’m inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to the defending champs, so I’ll predict Denver takes this matchup outright to tie the series at 2-2.
Over/Under: Over 204.5
All three games have featured a team failing to crack 100 points. While these two foes should be familiar with each by now, I do think we’ll get better offensive performances on both sides in this one. Give me the over here.