Denver Nuggets were historically bad in Game 2 loss to Timberwolves

Jeremy Vernon

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Denver Nuggets were historically bad in Game 2 loss to Timberwolves image

The defending champs are in serious trouble.

Playing in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals at home Monday night, the Denver Nuggets were whipped by the Minnesota Timberwolves, 106-80. Nikola Jokic and co. now face a 2-0 series deficit and now must travel to Minneapolis for Games 3 and 4.

Denver didn't have an answer for Anthony Edwards (27 points) once again, but it was Minnesota's defense that really gave the Nuggets issues throughout the night.

Just how bad was Denver's performance in Game 2? Here's a closer look:

— Denver's 80 points scored Monday were its fewest scored in any game since an 80-78 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 7 of the 2020 Western Conference first round. Before that, the last time the Nuggets had scored 80 or fewer points was during a 116-80 loss to the Spurs on Jan. 13, 2018.

Fewest points by Nuggets in games where Nikola Jokic has played

Points scoredDateOpponentResult
74Dec. 8, 2015Magic85-74 (L)
77Nov. 28, 2017Jazz106-77 (L)
78Oct. 30, 2015Timberwolves95-78 (L)
78Jan. 6, 2016Timberwolves78-74 (W)
80Nov. 27, 2015Spurs91-80 (L)
80Jan. 13, 2018Spurs112-80 (L)
80Sep. 1, 2020Jazz80-78 (W)
80May 6, 2024Timberwolves106-80 (L)

— The Nuggets were outscored, 28-20, in the first quarter of Game 2. So far in the playoffs, Denver has been outscored in the first quarter in five of the seven games it has played. The Nuggets' average deficit after one quarter this postseason has been 3.9 points.

— Denver shot 34.9% from the field in Game 2, their worst shooting performance in a single game since a 105-86 loss to the Houston Rockets on Nov. 24, 2023. The last time the Nuggets shot less than 35% in a playoff game was on May 29, 2021 in a 115-95 loss to the Trailblazers.

— Jamal Murray finished Game 2 with eight points on 3-of-18 shooting (16.7%). This was the worst shooting performance of Murray's entire career in a game where he attempted at least 15 shots. The only other game in Murray's career where he shot less than 20% from the field on at least 15 attempts was on Feb. 1, 2017 against the Grizzlies, when he was 3-for-16.

— During the first half while sitting on the bench, Murray was seen throwing a towel at an official and throwing a heating pack on the court during the course of play. It is unclear whether Murray will be disciplined by the league for his antics.

— The Timberwolves played Game 2 without 7-foot-2 center Rudy Gobert, who had 13 rebounds in Game 1. Even without Gobert in the lineup, Minnesota totaled 10 offensive rebounds and outscored Denver in the paint by a 52-34 advantage.

— Aaron Gordon had a plus-minus of -33 in Game 2 despite scoring a team-high 20 points. That marked the second-worst plus-minus of any NBA player this postseason in a single game, behind Miami's Caleb Martin (-35 in Game 5 vs. Celtics). It is the worst plus-minus by any Denver player in the postseason in franchise history. 

— Backup guard Reggie Jackson had six points on 1-for-6 shooting in Game 2, but the worst part of his night came in the second half when he limped back to the locker room with an apparent ankle injury. Jackson has dealt with ankle injuries all year, though he played all 82 games during the regular season.

— Michael Porter Jr. only had nine points Tuesday on 4-of-12 shooting. Game 2 marked the first time Porter Jr. failed to reach double figures scoring since a nine-point game against the Celtics in Mar. 7. The last time he scored less than 10 points while playing at least 35 minutes in a game was in Game 5 of last season's first round against Minnesota. 

— Before Game 2, NBA teams were 17-2 in Game 2 of a playoff series since 2021 after losing Game 1 at home. The average margin of victory for the home teams in those previous 19 games was above 15 points per game.

— There has been at least one team in seven of the last eight postseasons to win a playoff series after falling behind 0-2. Last year, the Warriors rallied to defeat the Kings in the first round, 4-3, after losing the first two games on the road in Sacramento. The only time Denver has overcome a 2-0 deficit in the postseason was in 1994, when they defeated the Sonics in Round 1, 3-2.

— The last defending NBA champion to face a 2-0 deficit in the next year's playoffs and still rally to win a second straight title were the 1995 Houston Rockets. That year, the Rockets lost the first two games of the Western Conference semis against the Phoenix Suns before fighting back to win in seven games.

Jeremy Vernon

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Jeremy Vernon is a reporter and editor from Greensboro, North Carolina, with a decade of experience in the industry. His previous stops include MLB.com and two local papers in N.C. — the Monroe Enquirer-Journal and the Chatham News + Record. When he isn’t working, you can likely find Jeremy at the dog park with his two-year old lab mix, Summer.