Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Christian Braun were near midcourt, clapping and talking as the time ran out on the Timberwolves on Sunday night.
Wolves star Anthony Edwards looked at Murray, clapped and talked back.
“We love that,” Edwards said. “Keep talking that. That’s what we like. Well, I love it. He didn’t say nothing back, but I’m pretty sure he heard me — they heard me.”
Edwards was the only Timberwolf who earned the right to trash-talk the champions on Sunday, scoring 44 points in a 115-107 loss at Target Center. If the Wolves are to win this series, they’ll need to support their lead vocalist with a choir.
Sunday’s loss dramatized that the Timberwolves’ advantages are no longer the Timberwolves’ advantages.
The factors and strategies that allowed them to win the first two games of this series evaporated in the three days between Game 2 and Game 3, as Nuggets coach Mike Malone concocted responses to the Wolves’ best-laid plans.
Point guard Jamal Murray getting pressed all the way up court, frustrating him? Have others bring the ball up and let Murray hunt his shot, or set a series of screens for him.
The Wolves’ switching, smothering half-court defense? Suddenly the Nuggets look patient and able to get any shot they want, with Jokic accepting the Wolves’ challenge to beat them with tough two-pointers, Murray making shots from everywhere and Aaron Gordon punishing the Wolves at the rim when they double-team or fail to block out.