Denver Nuggets Picks
2nd in Northwest
(53 - 28)
Next Game
DEN @ MIN Picks
NBA Picks
Anthony Edwards o5.5 Total Rebounds (-120)
Edwards is playing thoroughly despite his knee pain, as he always does in the postseason. He grabbed nine rebounds in Game 1 and then 10 in Game 2, fitting a long-time playoffs pattern. As the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two springs, Edwards crashed the glass more and more aggressively.
Nikola Jokic found a lot of the front of the rim in Game 2’s second half. Playing 40 minutes in two games in three nights can have that exhausting effect. But now Jokic has three days to recover, will be playing with more oxygen in the air and is undoubtedly aggravated that Rudy Gobert got the better of him in Monday’s fourth quarter. Game 3 should be a Jokic showcase, even if the game’s overall defense drastically improves thanks to the added day between games.
While Edwards has grabbed 19 rebounds already in this series, his loudest moment may have been his praise for Donte DiVincenzo's guts in Game 2, scoring 16 points while shooting 4-of-7 from deep. Added rest has helped DiVincenzo all season, and more DiVincenzo should take some shooting off Jaden McDaniels's plate, how has gone 1-of-15 from beyond the arc in his last four games.
