Dwight Howard, Kendrick Perkins, NBA world react to Timberwolves’ Nuggets thrashing

Howard wasn’t the only one who reacted to Monday’s clash. After all, the Timberwolves did come up with a 106-80 thrashing of the defending champions. Being able to blow out a formidable team such as the Nuggets is no easy task, but Minnesota made it seem like a walk in park.

Up 2-0 against Denver, the Timberwolves currently hold the attention of the entire NBA community. Kendrick Perkins couldn’t help but emphasize his prediction of a Minnesota finals appearance.

Additionally, the former NBA center posted a GIF of Anthony Edwards transitioning to Michael Jordan

Iman Shumpert also chimed in, tweeting about how Edwards and Co. were able to steal two games on the road.

Former NBA player Eddie Johnson also shared his thoughts about the Timberwolves winning as the away team. In addition, he was even amazed at how the team managed to put on a one-sided beating despite the absence of starting center Rudy Gobert, who missed the game due to the birth of his first child.

Hall of Famer and three-time champion James Worthy was also in awe of the whole thing.

Last but not the least, Terrence Ross, who announced his retirement last year, praised the Timberwolves’ defense.

Defense was key to the Timberwolves’ Game 2 win

To add more context to Ross’ tweet, defense was the name of the game on Monday. The Timberwolves relentlessly hounded Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who both struggled from the floor.

Jokic finished with just 16 points — his lowest-scoring game in this year’s playoffs. The Nuggets center shot just 5-of-13 (38.5%) and this was due to the Timberwolves frontline.

Moving on to Murray, the Nuggets guard was even worse, finishing with just eight points on 3-of-18 (16.7%) shooting from the floor. Throughout the game, Minnesota sent bodies at Murray, who was so frustrated that he even threw a heat pack on the court while sitting on the bench.

The referees didn’t see Murray throw the object, which was why the guard wasn’t disciplined during the game. Nonetheless, he’ll likely receive a sanction from the league.

Overall, the Timberwolves held the Nuggets to a 34.9% field goal rating.

On the offensive end, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards both finished with 27 points apiece to lead Minnesota. Towns also added 12 rebounds to his name to finish the night with a double-double. The team shot 50% from the field, ballooning their lead to as much as 32 points during the third quarter.

With two road wins under their belt, the Timberwolves now return to Target Center with momentum on their side. Game 3 tips off on Friday, May 10.