The Denver Nuggets faced an upset and embarrassment in front of their home crowd at Ball Arena in Denver. The blasting performance from Anthony Edwards overshadowed the elite offense of the Nuggets, including Nikola Jokic. However, the match was not one-sided, as it appeared at the end. The Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves continued to match each other’s pace and scoring ability on the court. However, the tables turned when Naz Reid took up his role and led the Wolves to victory. Though Reid did not have much impact on the game until 36 minutes passed, fellow center Rudy Gobert lit fire in the former’s heart.

With 9 minutes left into the third quarter, Karl-Anthony Towns got in trouble due to a foul. It was confirmed that Reid was going to cover up for Karl in the fourth quarter. However, before that, Rudy revealed that he had a chat with Reid regarding the fouls as he told the latter, “f**k what’s happening?” Since the Wolves center had to come onto the court eventually, Gobert cheered him up, saying, “Just free your mind and just be you. … I promise you you gonna make some plays.”

Gladly, Reid broke through the Nuggets’ defense and scored ten straight points entering the fourth quarter. Overall, he added 14 points to his team during his 14 minutes on the floor. Interestingly, the Nuggets faced defeat just by seven points. Considering the points streak and the depth Reid provided, the credit for the upset also goes to him, besides Anthony Edwards.

Naz Reid: Center Responsible for Wolves’ Redemption

Last year, when the Timberwolves faced defeat against the Nuggets, the roster chart was full of injury reports, including Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels. Even though the towns had a severe calf strain, the Wolves still gave the Nuggets a tough time. If it were not for the inconsistency of players, the Wolves would have taken on the #2-seeded team in the Western Conference. Reid’s team learned from their past mistakes and gave absolute competition to their opponents.

Reid was just exemplary in the Suns’ sweep in the playoffs. He averaged below 10 points per game in the first round of the playoffs. However, this does not mean the Wolves’ center is not up to mark. Reid’s skills give strength to the beach strength, including his mid-range and deep shots. He also has the tenacity to challenge the hot shots in the game at the rim if needed. It helps to keep control of the game on your side as the opponent always stays under pressure.

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Even the spotlight winner of the game, Anthony Edwards, was impressed with his center’s performance in the last quarter. He mentioned the same point as Gobert when the Wolves forward commented about Naz, “He stayed patient. The game will come to you if you’re patient.“

Late in the current season, Reid also performed well in the absence of Towns for three weeks. He has increased his reliability with his play this year. It will not be easy for Nuggets coach Malone to stop a team with such incredible bench strength capable of limiting Jokic’s movements. What do you all think? Can the Nuggets make a comeback in the series with players like Edwards, Towns, and Reid on the opponents’ side?