{"id":1898807,"date":"2026-04-23T14:07:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T11:07:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1898807"},"modified":"2026-04-23T14:07:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T11:07:37","slug":"the-bounce-nuggets-timberwolves-rivalry-keeps-ramping-up-we-love-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1898807","title":{"rendered":"The Bounce: Nuggets-Timberwolves rivalry keeps ramping up. We love it"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Bounce Newslette<\/b>r<\/strong>\u00a0\":basketball:\"<\/span>\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s<\/em> daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

During last night\u2019s Pistons-Magic broadcast, Richard Jefferson was talking about his Nets being up 3-2 in a series against Ben Wallace\u2019s Detroit before losing the final two. Detroit went on to win the NBA Finals. I looked up that Nets-Pistons series and was reminded of Game 1. The Pistons won 78-56. (Yes, they played 48 minutes. Kerry Kittles led New Jersey with 15, and the Nets had 39 points after three quarters.) They also had a 127-120 triple overtime win over the Pistons in Game 5. What a weird era of basketball!<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sweet disrespect<\/h3>\n

McDaniels upped the ante, and we need more<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jaden McDaniels said the quiet part out loud. He might have shared the scouting report with the world. Or maybe it was just what he believes the scouting report should be for his Timberwolves teammates against the Nuggets. Stone-faced. Hoodie on. Matter of fact. That was McDaniels as he gave\u00a0big-time bulletin board (or whatever\u2019s in locker rooms in 2026) material<\/a>\u00a0after the Game 2 win in Denver.<\/p>\n

\n

McDaniels:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cGo at Joki\u0107, Jamal, all the bad defenders. Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, their whole team. Just go at them.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Q:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThey\u2019re all bad defenders?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

McDaniels:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cYeah, they\u2019re all bad defenders.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Hold on a minute, Jaden! Gordon doesn\u2019t fit that mold! He\u2019s a really good defender. Maybe his body isn\u2019t as sound as it needs to be with the hamstring injury bothering him for a year now. But he\u2019s still one of the more respected defensive players in the NBA \u2026 I guess by players not named McDaniels? It was a stunning statement that got the internet buzzing over the first-round series that already had the most fire.<\/p>\n

\n

Tonight, we\u2019re getting Game 3 of that series in Minnesota (10:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video). These two teams have a good history against each other in the last couple of years, and\u00a0a lot of pressure will be on McDaniels and the Wolves to prove his statement correct.<\/strong>\u00a0Go at all of these guys and prove they can\u2019t guard you. That was certainly the case after the first quarter of Game 2 Monday, and down the stretch when the Wolves pulled out the victory to even the series at 1-1.<\/p>\n

In that same session, McDaniels also expanded with something more grounded and not as salacious:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t got people that could defend the rim. If (Joki\u0107) is there, we still more athletic than them, and just got to be able to finish when we do.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJust sometimes you gotta know when to attack and when the right moments (are), and if it\u2019s your time to shoot it or pass it. But either way, if you just break the paint, you\u2019re gonna have a shot, or someone else is gonna be open.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It holds true when you look at Denver\u2019s regular-season stats.<\/strong>\u00a0The Nuggets finished 21st in defensive rating, and it\u2019s historically difficult to win a championship when your defense is that bad. They had plenty of reasons why it was so bad, though. Gordon missed 46 games. Peyton Watson missed 28 games and is still out with his own hamstring issue. Joki\u0107 became drastically worse at defense after his knee hyperextension in December.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

When the Nuggets had their preferred starting lineup, their defensive rating improved by about three points per 100 possessions.\u00a0These comments just add to how good this rivalry has been.<\/strong>\u00a0But when Gordon was asked about them,\u00a0he responded as he should<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBrother, I don\u2019t care,\u201d he told reporters Monday night, visibly scoffing.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I meant that\u2019s how he should respond\u00a0professionally<\/em>. But we don\u2019t want that. I mean \u2026 I don\u2019t. We want to see the brazenness of Anthony Edwards and McDaniels in how they authentically express what\u2019s on their minds. It adds drama. And we know that the second the Nuggets string together some stops in Game 3, we\u2019ll see these two sides chirping. Denver will meet the Wolves with that on the court. It would just be more fun to have it all on the microphones, too.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

{“endpoint”:”https:\/\/api-prd-nyt.theathletic.com\/graphql”}<\/p>\n

The Last 24<\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udde3\ufe0f Wait, what? <\/strong>LeBron James and Draymond Green have proposed moving the Grizzlies to Nashville.\u00a0Adam Silver endorsed\u00a0<\/strong>playing some games there<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Historic numbers. A record 216 WNBA games<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0will be broadcast in the league\u2019s 30th year of play.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc40\u00a0Good sign?\u00a0<\/strong>Remember that whole cap-circumvention investigation into the Clippers?\u00a0Aspiration\u2019s co-founder helped the NBA with it<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcb0\u00a0Silver-approved.\u00a0<\/strong>The commish was asked about the Blazers owner\u2019s cost-cutting ways.\u00a0\u201cHe knows what he\u2019s doing.\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd0a\u201cNBA Daily.\u201d <\/strong>Watch\/listen to a recap of last night\u2019s games.\u00a0How the Pistons got their groove back<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stream the NBA on Fubo (<\/em>try it for free!<\/a>)<\/em> and catch out-of-market games on League Pass<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Top Reserve<\/h3>\n

Need more than scoring to win Sixth Man<\/strong><\/p>\n

For years, it felt like the top scorer coming off the bench would end up winning the Sixth Man of the Year award. Maybe this was the Lou Williams-and-Jamal Crawford effect? Those guys would come in and just light up defenses. Back in 2020, Montrezl Harrell won the award as one of three players averaging more than 18 points per game as a reserve. In 2021 and 2022, Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Herro won it by easily being the top scorers off the bench.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

But the last four winners have not been massive scoring options.<\/strong>\u00a0Spurs forward Keldon Johnson\u00a0was named the Sixth Man of the Year<\/a>\u00a0on Wednesday, taking home 63 of the 100 first-place votes. Heat wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished second in the voting by grabbing 34 of the remaining 37. Somehow, Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Stewart took first-place votes.<\/p>\n

\n

A global media panel of 100 voters selected the winner of the 2025-26 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.<\/p>\n

Complete voting results \u2b07\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/tVxTUuzueu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Johnson averaged 13.2 points per game, which is the lowest average of the six highest vote-getters for the award. But four of the other five were barely above him in scoring average, finishing with either 13.5 or 13.6 points per game. Jaquez led bench players with 15.4 points per game. Not a massive lead, but still over 2 points more per game.<\/p>\n

Johnson joins Malcolm Brogdon (2023), Naz Reid (2024) and Payton Pritchard (2025) as recent winners who weren\u2019t close to leading bench players in scoring. Johnson\u2019s defense and rebounding have been big for the Spurs, allowing them to play a little smaller and more versatile at times. For you bench players out there, I guess you need to do a bit more than get shots up.<\/p>\n

Last Night & Tonight<\/h3>\n

Detroit, from near disaster to dominance<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, what to know about last night:<\/p>\n

Pistons 98, Magic 83: Series tied 1-1.\u00a0<\/strong>Three key points for this game:\u00a0<\/strong>Read the takeaways from\u00a0The Athletic<\/em><\/a>. Here are mine.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The third quarter settled it. An ugly, even battle at halftime turned into the Pistons starting on a 30-3 run to begin the third. Cade Cunningham had seven assists in the third. The Magic had five baskets in a 38-16 quarter.<\/li>\n
  2. Paint domination. Detroit outscored Orlando 54-34 in the paint. That was huge, especially in the third (16), as was limiting Orlando to 17-of-40 in the paint.<\/li>\n
  3. Good defense or sloppy play? Yes, these are defensive-minded teams, but 42 combined turnovers is gross. Cade\u2019s seven were surprising.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n
    <\/div>\n

    <\/span>
    \n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n

    Who played huge in this game?\u00a0<\/strong>Cade. The turnovers were a lot, but\u00a0he was as steady as the No. 1 seed needed him to be<\/a>. He orchestrated that third quarter. I wondered if he might need to average 40 in this series, but Detroit gave him enough help that he could do it with passing, too.<\/p>\n

    Who came up short for the Magic?\u00a0<\/strong>Desmond Bane. This team is so bad offensively that it can\u2019t afford for him to be off. Twelve points on 2-of-11 shooting, and he had more turnovers (three) than made shots.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    \n

    Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    How concerned should the Magic be?\u00a0<\/strong>It looked like the Pistons found their defensive groove, which is bad news for an Orlando team that can\u2019t score consistently. They can\u2019t just rely on free throws here. Unless someone can consistently break down the defense, home-court advantage might not do much.\u00a0Playoff Panic Meter: \ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8<\/strong> for Orlando | \ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\u00a0for Detroit.<\/p>\n

    Thunder 120, Suns 107: Thunder lead series 2-0.\u00a0<\/strong>Three key points for this game:\u00a0<\/strong>Read the takeaways from\u00a0The Athletic<\/em><\/a>. Here are mine.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still unguardable. He had 37 on 13-of-25, and it all looked so easy. Nothing you can do.<\/li>\n
    2. The turnover battle is just too lopsided. The Suns lost it 22-10 and ended up allowing 22 points off them. OKC only allowed nine.<\/li>\n
    3. Jalen Williams\u2019 hamstring injury<\/a>. He missed a bunch of games with a right hamstring injury this season. He left in the third with a left hamstring injury.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Who played huge in this game?\u00a0<\/strong>Chet Holmgren. As the Thunder dominated the third quarter, he was a monster, scoring 11 of his 19 points and delivering three of his four blocks.<\/p>\n

      Who came up short for the Suns?\u00a0<\/strong>Devin Booker. He has to deal with a revolving door of great defenders, but he\u2019s not getting enough shots or free throws. He had 22 on 7-of-14 shooting and six turnovers.<\/p>\n

      How concerned should the Suns be?\u00a0<\/strong>Pretty concerned? They\u2019re not resigned to getting swept, but the brooms will be traveling with the Thunder to Phoenix. Maybe they can build on that run in the fourth quarter?\u00a0PPM: <\/strong>\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8for Phoenix.<\/p>\n

      Since we\u2019re here, let\u2019s do a quick preview of Thursday\u2019s Game 3s. All times Eastern.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

      Knicks at Hawks, Game 3, 7 p.m. (Prime Video) | Series tied 1-1<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Something to look for:\u00a0<\/strong>How involved will the Knicks make Karl-Anthony Towns on offense? They just lost sight of him in the fourth, and he didn\u2019t demand the ball. He needs to re-establish himself as unstoppable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Cavs at Raptors, Game 3, 8 p.m. (Prime Video) | Cavs lead 2-0<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Something to look for:\u00a0<\/strong>Can the Raptors score better at home? They really struggled offensively in the first two games.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Nuggets at Wolves, Game 3, 10:30 p.m. (Prime Video) | Series tied 1-1<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          • Something to look for:\u00a0<\/strong>Just pop that\ud83c\udf7f! This is going to be an epic, trash-talking series. Let\u2019s hope they\u2019re vocal and take it all personally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            The Bounce Newsletter\u00a0\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. During last night\u2019s Pistons-Magic broadcast, Richard Jefferson was talking about his Nets being up 3-2 in a series against Ben Wallace\u2019s Detroit before losing the final two. Detroit went on to win the NBA Finals. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1898807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1898807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1898807"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1898807\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1898807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1898807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1898807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}