The Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets achieved a goal on Friday night.
They managed to avoid falling behind 3-0 in the conference semifinals, but now they have to work even harder to even the series.
After winning in different ways, the Pacers and Nuggets will play crucial Game 4 matchups against the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
Tyrese Haliburton, an All-Star guard, emphasized the importance of their win at home and the need to play desperately and hard to avoid a 3-0 deficit in the series.
The defending champion Nuggets also followed a similar mindset and adjusted their game plan.
The Pacers rallied to win with a remarkable 3-pointer from Andrew Nembhard, while the defending champion Nuggets dominated in Minnesota after losing their first two games at home.
The Nuggets, led by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, secured a decisive victory and will aim to repeat their success against the Timberwolves.
Denver coach Mike Malone expressed confidence in their capabilities after the blowout win.
The big question now is what happens next.
Despite facing a hostile environment, Murray expects the Timberwolves to respond aggressively in Game 4.
Murray anticipates an intense and desperate response from the Timberwolves, emphasizing the competitive nature of the playoffs.
Indiana believes it can continue to benefit from the support of their home crowd, which has been instrumental in their success during the postseason.
However, the Knicks have more pressing concerns.
Jalen Brunson played through an injury and scored 26 points, but the Knicks have other key players dealing with injuries, including OG Anunoby and several others.
OG Anunoby will miss his second consecutive game due to a hamstring injury, adding to the Knicks' existing injury concerns regarding other key players like Bojan Bogdanovic, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson.
However, if a couple of calls — or Brunson’s unsteady 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining — went in favor of New York, the Knicks could have been attempting to secure their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since a 4-2 loss to the Pacers in 2000. Instead, they’re aiming to win the first road game in this series for either team.
“From my view, I thought those calls could have gone our way. But I won’t comment until I watch the film,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau stated on Friday. “But we just have to figure out a way to win. That’s the bottom line.”
And Indiana, Denver, and Minnesota all want to follow the same plan.
NUGGETS AT T-WOLVES
• Minnesota is ahead 2-1. Game 3, 8 p.m., TNT
• THINGS TO KNOW: After losing Game 1 and not performing well in Game 2 in Denver, the defending champions took advantage of a three-day break to rest, adjust, and re-energize. The outcome: Murray bounced back from a 3-for-18 shooting performance and a $100,000 fine for throwing a heat pack onto the court with a winning performance in Game 3. The Nuggets also played with more energy, increased defensive pressure, and made it clear to the Timberwolves that they’re not going anywhere.
• KEEP AN EYE ON: Aaron Gordon. Denver’s experienced forward not only reduced some of the ballhandling pressure on Murray by helping with the offense, but also made three 3s in the third quarter on Friday to put an end to any chance of a Minnesota comeback. Gordon has shot 17 of 27 in the series.
• INJURY WATCH: Murray has been playing with a strained left calf, but said he felt as good going into Game 3 as he had since first suffering the injury. He mentioned that the hamstring tightened up on him near the end of Friday’s game and is listed as questionable. “At this point in the season, everybody’s dealing with something,” he said.
• PRESSURE IS ON: Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves star, who has been compared to Michael Jordan throughout the NBA playoffs, had his least productive postseason game with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting and a game-high five turnovers.
