Viral Photo of Rudy Gobert With Oxygen Mask Emerges While Timberwolves Deal Another Injury Scare After Anthony Edwards

Timberwolves nearly have another injury blow

Injuries to the Timberwolves’ starters – Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo are the reason this series seems far from over. The shorthanded Wolves managed to keep their composure at home. But without Edwards’ athleticism and DiVincenzo’s consistent shooting, they couldn’t replicate an invigorated performance on the road.

To make matters worse, another one of their players nearly went down. In the third quarter, Naz Reid went to the floor in agony after the Nuggets’ Tim Hardaway Jr. inadvertently stepped on his right ankle. Reid suffered a sprain on that same ankle in March. He briefly went to the locker room, causing greater stress on the Timberwolves fans watching on.

Fortunately, the former 6MOTY made his return shortly. Reid was integral in the fourth quarter, where the Wolves actually had moments where it seemed like they would come back from a 27-point deficit. But in the end, they ran out of steam. Consecutive turnovers stretched the lead again. Reid was guilty of a backcourt violation, after which Chris Finch subbed him out instead of Gobert.

But the pressing issue is the waves of the series flowing in the Nuggets’ direction. A 3-2 scoreline with the Timberwolves’ injury woes gives them a real shot at a comeback. Denver’s done a 3-1 comeback twice before, in consecutive series when playing in the bubble. They’ll fancy their chances now that the Wolves don’t have their franchise cornerstone for the remainder of the series.

However, it’s still imperative for the Nuggets to have a spread-out scoring performance. Tonight, even without Aaron Gordon, they got 38 combined points from Cam Johnson and Spencer Jones. That’s the formula to beat a tenacious Wolves team. Over-reliance on Murray and Nikola Jokic would spell trouble. And with the series heading to Minnesota, it’s going to be much harder for the Nuggets’ role players to step up.

Timberwolves need resilience. The Nuggets need belief. Whoever managed to show stronger determination over their principles could emerge victorious in this tie. Who do you think it’s going to be?

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