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When it comes to the Minnesota Timberwolves, most eyes are always on Anthony Edwards for obvious reasons. Edwards has been playing like a ball of fire in the 2024 NBA Playoffs thus far. He already looks like a huge problem for the Denver Nuggets after he torched the defending NBA champions for 43 points in the series opener on Saturday night.
However, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone wants his team to realize that Edwards isn’t the only Timberwolves player killing them. Malone brought up the name of veteran point guard Mike Conley when talking about his team’s outlook going forward in the series.
“You can’t go under Mike Conley. There’s a reason Mike Conley kicks our ass every time we play him,” Malone told reporters (h/t Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports).
“You go under Mike Conley’s screen, it’s going to be a dribble left three. And we did that too often, you know, and just understanding the game plan better and the personnel that you’re guarding better,” Malone added.
Although Conley did not go crazy offensively in Game 1, as Edwards was dropping bucket after bucket on the Nuggets, the Timberwolves vet had an efficient night himself. Conley was a fantastic source of peripheral points in that contest for Minnesota, as he finished with 14 points on 5/8 shooting from the floor with three 3-pointers on four attempts from behind the arc while also dishing out 10 assists in 31 minutes. Because of his shooting, Conley helped the Timberwolves in making the Nuggets’ defense honest all game long.
As implied by Malone, it wasn’t also just the first time that Conley made Denver’s defense pay. Back in the regular season, Conley averaged 18.0 points and 5.3 assists in four games against the Nuggets while also shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 60.9 percent from behind the arc. Conley has been a Nuggets silent killer this season which Malone wants his team to finally contain as soon as Game 2 before the series shifts to Minnesota.
Nuggets in uncharted territory since 2023 title run
The Nuggets had not lost a series opener during their 2023 title run and in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs versus LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. That streak ended over the weekend at the hands of the Timberwolves, putting the Nuggets in a position they haven’t been in before since 2023. But Malone is loving the challenge, as his team looks to avoid falling down a 2-0 series hole.
“I think overall that was a general consensus today was forget play call, forget anything else, man. Let’s play harder. Let’s be more physical. And obviously, we did not want to go back to Minnesota down 0-2. And what you love about the playoffs is this,” Malone said about losing the first game of the series against the Timberwolves.
“Last year we never lost to Game 1. And we only lost one home game the entirety of our championship run. And we never were down 0-1. Well, this year it’s different. It’s a different team. It’s a different setup. And now it’s a new challenge. So let’s embrace that. We are down. Didn’t want to be, but we are. So let’s fight like hell tomorrow night.”
For what it’s worth, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have a 19-7 record this season in games following a loss.
More must-reads:
- Key Knicks forward ruled out for Game 7 vs. Pacers
- Watch: Thunder go on 24-6 run to close out first half of Game 6 vs. Mavericks
- The 'Most triple-doubles in the postseason' quiz
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