NBA Playoffs 2023/24, 2nd Round, Game 4, Monday, 13.05.2024
A Bet365 registration makes sense for all sports betting fans who prefer bouncing the ball to kicking it, because the bookmaker giant offers a wide range of basketball bets.
This includes Game 4 of this series, for which I have placed a suitable Timberwolves Nuggets tip in the betting shop. However, the home fans will probably not like it. Because in it I assume another victory for the defending champions
The Nuggets desperately needed an answer after the two clear defeats in their own stadium during Game 1 and 2.
They finally routed the Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards, in Ball Arena – a place that was feared league-wide during the regular season.
However, the defending champions seemingly made good enough use of the brief respite during the relocation of the venue from Denver to Minnesota.
The Nuggets actually found the answer they needed in a 117-90 win that could be a turning point in this series
More than a few Wolves fans were surely upset that Murray was allowed to play at all.
Because the Nuggets’ key player was so incensed in Game 2 that he started throwing objects around. But the NBA’s match supervisors nevertheless decided against a retrospective suspension.
Without Murray, the Nuggets would certainly not have won Game 3. Because this success was the product of the point guard’s best postseason performance to date.
The speed dribbler, who had only been convincing in phases up to that point, clearly seemed determined to do everything right this time in the third game of the series.
Fortunately, the three days off after Game 2 helped him to heal his sore calf muscle.
As a result, Murray was already extremely quick on his feet in the first quarter, moving between double teams, scoring 18 of his 24 points by half-time and taking control of the game.
What also makes me confident from a purely tactical perspective that the defending champs will tie tonight is that the Nuggets have reinvented themselves a bit.
They generally move to the basket more often and neglect to be overly active from outside.
However, since the Wolves’ first-class defense on the perimeter has rendered them almost completely harmless so far, the head coach considered a “change of strategy.”
Throws from downtown were the order of the day on Friday. The Nuggets’ accuracy was outstanding throughout the game. They sank almost half of their 3-pointers and made 54% overall.
That was exactly the right tool to lure the Wolves out of their shell. Minnesota then moved further away from the basket to prevent them from firing free threes.
Yet it was precisely this move that put Nikola Jokic on the five. The Nuggets’ center suddenly had an unusual amount of space to quickly forward passes to him or, in some cases, to sink them himself.
If Denver can force the Timberwolves into a more extensive defense again tonight with accurate threes, gaps will open up for the Serbian and Murray to exploit effectively.
Jamal Murray’s sudden explosion in performance had a positive side effect for the Nuggets: they were able to take Jaden McDaniels out of the game early!
McDaniels defended Murray excellently in Game 1 and 2, but he got into foul trouble early last Friday, depriving the Wolves of arguably their most important defender.
McDaniels is tasked with making life difficult for Murray, but the point guard’s newfound effervescence overwhelmed the defensive specialist.
His fouls limited McDaniels to just seven minutes in the first half, by which time the Nuggets and Murray were already 15 points ahead and in commanding control of proceedings from then on.
So if Murray delivers again tonight, it increases the Nuggets’ chances of winning the game in more ways than one.
Speaking of chances, the sportsbooks don’t really believe that the defending champions will turn this thing around.
All the more reason for me to opt for Denver’s higher win odds, which have been set at 2.35 and are therefore a good deal higher than the Wolves’ odds of 1.65.
Conclusion: I believe that the Nuggets have found the right tool to turn the series in their favor from now on.
Of course, Murray has to deliver again tonight and the shots from downtown have to hit their target as well.
If those two conditions are met, however, the Wolves’ strong defense could falter – at least much more so than in the first two games at Ball Arena.
My Timberwolves Nuggets tip: Victory for the defending champions
