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  • Reggie Jackson (calf) exits during fourth quarter
    Reggie Jackson (left calf tightness) tallied three points (1-of-6 FGs), two rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer in 10 minutes in Monday’s Game 2 loss to Minnesota.

    Advice: Already dealing with a sore left ankle, Jackson hobbled off the court during the fourth quarter with tightness in his left calf. While Denver announced that he was questionable to return, the veteran point guard remained in the locker room. The only production Denver received from its bench in Game 2 was from Justin Holiday, who shot 4-of-5 from three and finished with 13 points, two rebounds, and one assist. With Jackson and Murray dealing with calf issues, the Nuggets have two point guards not playing at full strength. Game 3 being on Friday could help matters, but the biggest problem has been the talented Timberwolves. Rotoworld 41 minutes ago
     
  • Jamal Murray (calf) struggles in Game 2 blowout
    Jamal Murray (left calf strain) shot 3-of-18 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in Monday’s 106-80 loss to the Timberwolves, finishing with eight points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one blocked shot in 36 minutes.

    Advice: Murray had a rough night at the office, as Denver fell into an 0-2 hole. He struggled with his shot throughout and was also visibly frustrated with the officials. Things reached a head during the second quarter when an angry Murray threw a heat pack onto the court. No technical foul was called at the time, but the NBA is likely to hand down a punishment of some kind before Game 3 on Friday. The three days off come at a good time for Murray, who is in serious need of some time to rest his ailing calf. Rotoworld 46 minutes ago
     
  • Aaron Gordon leads Nuggets with 20 points Monday
    Aaron Gordon played 33 minutes in Monday’s Game 2 loss to the Timberwolves, accounting for 20 points (8-of-14 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers.

    Advice: Gordon played better than any other Nugget in Game 2, and while that benefitted those who put him into their DFS lineups, that was not good news for Denver. Stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined to score 24 points, and Michael Porter Jr. (9/5/2/1/1 with one 3-pointer) shot 1-of-7 from three while committing four turnovers. Gordon was one block shy of a full stat line, and his production was one of the few bright spots on Monday. Given how limited Denver’s bench is, they may need another effort like this in Game 3 on Friday. Rotoworld 51 minutes ago
     
  • Nikola Jokic records 16/16/8/0/1 line in Game 2
    Nikola Jokic finished Monday’s 106-80 loss to the Timberwolves with 16 points (5-of-13 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), 16 rebounds, eight assists, and one blocked shot in 39 minutes.

    Advice: Jamal Murray (calf) isn’t playing at full strength, and Minnesota was playing without Rudy Gobert on Monday. With the Nuggets having dropped Game 1, they needed an elite performance from Jokic. While he did finish two assists shy of a triple-double, they did not get that from the Joker. He committed four turnovers, but the shooting (5-of-13 FGs) was especially concerning. Minnesota had some success during Game 1 using Karl-Anthony Towns or Naz Reid on Jokic, with Gobert serving as the “free safety.” The Timberwolves could not do that in Game 2, but they successfully defended Jokic straight up. He and the Nuggets have some things to address ahead of Friday’s Game 3. Rotoworld Today, 9:48 pm
     
  • Kyle Anderson records full line in spot start
    Kyle Anderson accounted for six points (3-of-8 FGs), nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one blocked shot in 26 minutes in Monday’s Game 2 win over Denver.

    Advice: With Rudy Gobert (personal) back in Minnesota, Anderson was the choice to fill the void in the starting lineup. SloMo was most impactful as a rebounder, with seven of his nine coming on the offensive end of the floor. Given how well the Timberwolves have played, those extra possessions seriously damaged the reigning champions. Add in eight assists and three “stocks,” and Anderson had a solid night at the office. Gobert should be available for Game 3 on Friday, which would bounce Anderson back to the bench. Rotoworld Today, 9:43 pm
     
  • Naz Reid blocks four shots, scores 14 in Game 2
    Naz Reid accumulated 14 points (5-of-14 FGs), five rebounds, one steal, four blocks, and four 3-pointers in 29 minutes in Monday’s 106-80 win over Denver.

    Advice: The Timberwolves are taking a 2-0 lead home to Minneapolis, winning Game 2 dominantly despite not having Rudy Gobert (personal). Reid wasn’t the choice to fill the void in the starting lineup (Kyle Anderson was), but that didn’t keep him from impacting the action defensively. The NBA Sixth Man of the Year blocked four shots while hitting four 3-pointers and tallying 14 points. And Reid wasn’t the only reserve to show off his shot-blocking abilities. Nickeil Alexander-Walker racked up three blocks while also tallying 14 points, six rebounds, one assist, and four 3-pointers in 30 minutes. Minnesota’s bench has been superior through two games, and that’s unlikely to change when the series shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Rotoworld Today, 9:40 pm
     
  • Anthony Edwards tallies 27 points, seven assists
    Anthony Edwards shot 11-of-17 from the field and 4-of-7 from the foul line in Monday’s Game 2 win over the Nuggets, accumulating 27 points, two rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one 3-pointer in 37 minutes.

    Advice: The Timberwolves were without Rudy Gobert on Monday, as he was back in Minnesota for the birth of his first child. And it didn’t matter because Denver still had no answer for Edwards. Ant-Man tied for the team lead in scoring, shooting well over 50% from the field. If there was an issue for him, it was the turnovers, with the star guard racking up four, but to cite that would be to split hairs. Denver has three days to figure out their approach to defending Edwards, with Game 3 scheduled for Friday night. Rotoworld Today, 9:34 pm
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns records 27/12/1/1/2 line Monday
    Karl-Anthony Towns shot 10-of-15 from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line in Monday’s 106-80 blowout of the Nuggets, tallying 27 points, 12 rebounds, one assist, one steal, two blocks, and three 3-pointers in 36 minutes.

    Advice: Minnesota needed Towns to step up with Rudy Gobert (personal reasons) away from the team, and that’s what he did. KAT tied for the team lead in points, shooting 66.7% from the field while also grabbing 12 rebounds. He’s scored 20 points or more in three straight games, and not only was foul trouble not an issue for Towns, but he and the other starters were able to watch the end of Tuesday’s rout from the bench. Gobert should be available for Friday’s Game 3, but Minnesota needs Towns to play at this level consistently. Now 6-0 this postseason, the Timberwolves look like a team that can play into June. Rotoworld Today, 9:33 pm
     
  • Monte Morris (finger) will not return on Monday
    Monte Morris (right index finger sprain) will not return to Monday’s game against the Nuggets.

    Advice: Morris logged eight minutes before exiting Game 2, finishing with two points (1-of-4 FGs) and one steal. If he cannot play in Game 3 on Friday, Jordan McLaughlin could return to the rotation. However, neither will play enough to merit being added to DFS lineups. Rotoworld Today, 9:23 pm