Timberwolves rout Nuggets for 2-1 series lead

Jaden McDaniels anchored a forceful defensive effort and Ayo Dosunmu scored a team-high 25 points off the bench as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets, 113-96, in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series Thursday night in Minneapolis.

The Timberwolves took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, which continues Saturday night in Minneapolis.

Minnesota, the sixth seed in the Western Conference, opened with 14 of the game’s first 18 points and led the rest of the way at Target Center.

McDaniels finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Anthony Edwards added 17 points for the Timberwolves.

The Nuggets were held to 34.1% shooting, their lowest field-goal percentage of the season.

Denver’s regular-season low for field-goal percentage was 40.2%, a mark it posted three times.

The Nuggets also shot 25.0% from 3-point range, going 8-for-32 for their fourth-lowest mark of the season.

Nikola Jokic led all scorers with 27 points and all rebounders with 15, but the three-time NBA Most Valuable Player went 7-for-26 from the field.

Jokic also missed eight of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc.

Jamal Murray, hounded much of the night by McDaniels, shot 5-for-17 and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.

Murray finished with 16 points for Denver.

After both teams reached triple figures in the first two games, Minnesota set a defensive tone from the opening tip in its first home game of the series.

The Timberwolves’ defense was especially sharp in the first half, limiting the Nuggets to 39 points.

Denver shot just 3-for-15 from 3-point range in the first half, a 20.0% clip.

The Nuggets managed only four points in the game’s first seven minutes.

Minnesota used that stretch to build a 14-4 lead.

McDaniels had a three-point play on a dunk and two more interior baskets during the run.

The forward singlehandedly outscored Denver, 7-4, during the early surge.

The Timberwolves led, 25-11, at the end of the first quarter.

Minnesota stretched its lead to as many as 23 points in the second quarter.

The closest Denver got in the second half was 12 points, and that came in the final two minutes.

Rudy Gobert gave Minnesota another double-double with 10 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.

Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo scored 15 points apiece for the Timberwolves. DiVincenzo also had a game-high seven assists.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 11 points off the bench for Denver. Zeke Nnaji added 10 points for the Nuggets’ second unit.

Denver played without Aaron Gordon, who was sidelined by a tight left calf.

The Nuggets also missed Peyton Watson, who was out with a strained left hamstring.

Denver was held under 100 points just twice during the regular season, underscoring how decisive Minnesota’s defensive performance was in Game 3.

The win also gave the Timberwolves a chance to tighten their grip on the series when they host Game 4 on Saturday night.