Game 2 between the Nuggets and Timberwolves is underway, and things seem bleak for the defending champions. The young guns put up an 8-point lead in the first quarter, only to mount a torching 26-point gap at halftime. Nikola Jokic scored 8. On the other hand, Jamal Murray, just like Game 1, saw tough opening minutes, posting 2 points. Moreover, frustrated by the Wolves’ surge, Murray was seen muttering something to his dad during the game, probably a word or two of motivation? Or a way of throwing tantrums?

For the first time in their 2-year dominance, the Nuggets looked clueless. As a result, the defending champions witnessed heightened emotions early in the game, all while facing synergy issues all across the board. This led Kendrick Perkins to compare, quoting on X, “These young Wolves got the Champs, the most “poised” team in the league throwing tantrums and unraveling like a 10th seed that got in through the Play In. Jesus Christ!”. One of the instances came during the Twolves’ second-quarter run. Probably inspired by Jason Kidd’s iconic water spill to buy time for his squad, Jamal Murray threw a heat pack at Denver’s end of the floor in frustration!

Had the referees noticed Murray’s actions, it would have resulted in a technical. However, the Nuggets, when it comes to the whistles, have been testing their luck since the initial minutes of the game. Also, as Anthony Edwards made his case regarding a call, Mike Malone blasted to the court in rage. The coach headed towards one of the officials, and shouted at the ref’s face. Teams have seen ejections for way less during the regular season.

Additionally, apart from Murray’s complaints and Malone’s outburst, even Jokic was seen prying for fouls and calls in the game. However, the Wolves, undeterred from these distractions, simply focused on their end of the court.

Jamal Murray and the Nuggets didn’t have answers to the Wolves’ defense

Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns posted 27 points each, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid supported with 14 apiece. However, the star of the night was Minnesota’s tightly packed defense, limiting Jamal Murray to only 8 and Jokic to 16! In a viral clip, Walker was seen smiling while bodying Murray.

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This limited the Nuggets to just 34.9% from the field and 30% from three, while the visitors saw half of their shots find the net. In forcing 16 turnovers by the Nuggets, Wolves garnered 12 blocks (double of what the Nuggets had) and 11 steals (Nuggets had 6), outlining their consistency throughout the game. This also led Charles Barkley, who has had his fair share of battles against some of the top NBA rosters, to claim that the Wolves are the best defensive team the league has ever seen.

The Nuggets are now down 2 games at home, and will now fly to Minnesota for the coming two. A defining factor of Championship teams is how they claw back from adversities. This moment demands exactly that from the defending champions.