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  • Anthony Edwards scores 18 but struggles on Tuesday
    Anthony Edwards shot 5-of-15 from the field and 7-of-8 from the foul line in Tuesday’s 112-97 loss to Denver, accounting for 18 points, four rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 44 minutes.

    Advice: Minnesota played Game 5 without Mike Conley, who was sidelined by a sore right Achilles. That placed even more responsibility on Edwards’ shoulders, which may not have been a good thing. Ant-Man did dish out a team-high nine assists, but he was also responsible for four turnovers while shooting 33.3% from the field. Aggression is never an issue for Edwards, but shouldering the offensive workload is considerably easier when he has his reliable sidekick on the court. Game 6 is on Thursday night in Minneapolis. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:54 pm
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) scores team-high 23 PTS
    Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee soreness) amassed 23 points (10-of-19 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers in 38 minutes in Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the Nuggets.

    Advice: Already playing without Mike Conley (Achilles), the Timberwolves experienced an injury scare with Towns during the first half of Tuesday’s game. He appeared to bang his knee on the leg of Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who lost his balance while closing out on the Timberwolves big. Towns did have to exit the game, but only briefly, as he returned after spending a few minutes on the exercise bike. The 23 points are the most KAT has scored in a game since Game 2 (27 points). However, his minus-17 rating was the worst among the Timberwolves who saw action on Tuesday. Towns will need to be better in Game 6 on Thursday if Minnesota is to force a Game 7. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:46 pm
     
  • Rudy Gobert posts 18/11/3/2/2 line in Game 5 loss
    Rudy Gobert shot 7-of-7 from the field and 4-of-7 from the foul line in Tuesday’s loss to the Nuggets, accounting for 18 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in 40 minutes.

    Advice: Gobert recorded a solid overall stat line in Tuesday’s Game 5. Still, the conversations will be dominated by the fact that he was Nikola Jokic’s primary defender for most of the night. The three-time MVP went off for 40 points and 13 assists without committing a turnover, so Gobert’s numbers will only be a footnote. His offensive performance in Game 5 is encouraging because it happened with Mike Conley (Achilles) sidelined. Gobert didn’t miss a shot from the field, with six of his seven makes coming within the restricted area. Regardless of Conley’s status for Game 6 on Thursday, Gobert needs to be better defensively if Minnesota is to extend its season. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:39 pm
     
  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker scores 14 points Tuesday
    Nickeil Alexander-Walker finished Tuesday’s 112-97 loss to Denver with 14 points (5-of-12 FGs), two rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and four 3-pointers in 39 minutes.

    Advice: Due to Mike Conley (Achilles) sitting out Game 5, Alexander-Walker was moved into the starting lineup. While he did finish with a minus-13, the overall stat line was solid. NAW made four of his eight 3-point attempts, and his five assists were countered by one turnover. Alexander-Walker’s place in the rotation for Thursday’s Game 6 depends on Conley’s availability; clearly, he will return to the bench if the Timberwolves’ starting point guard can play. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:26 pm
     
  • Jamal Murray finishes Game 5 win with 16 points
    Jamal Murray accumulated 16 points (7-of-14 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, four assists, and one steal in 41 minutes in Tuesday’s 112-97 win over Minnesota.

    Advice: Murray has been considerably better since he scored 25 points on 9-of-32 shooting in the first two games of this series. While Tuesday’s point total was modest, he shot 50% from the field and did most of his damage in the paint. Murray shot 6-of-10 in the paint, with five of those makes occurring in the restricted area. With Nikola Jokic abusing the Timberwolves and tallying 40 points and 13 assists without any turnovers, the Nuggets did not need a high-scoring night from Murray. Game 6 is on Thursday in Minneapolis, with Denver aiming to close out the series. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:22 pm
     
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hits four triples Tuesday
    Kentavious Caldwell-Pope logged 38 minutes in Tuesday’s win over Minnesota, amassing 16 points (6-of-8 FGs), five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and four 3-pointers.

    Advice: With Michael Porter Jr. (6/7/1/0/2 with two 3-pointers) shooting 2-of-10 from the field, the Nuggets needed additional production from Caldwell-Pope. The veteran guard stepped up, with the 16 points and four 3-pointers being series-highs for him. KCP entered the series at less than full strength, impacting his production early on. But he looked sharp in Game 5, and the Nuggets are now one win away from a return to the Western Conference Finals. Game 6 is on Thursday night in Minneapolis. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:18 pm
     
  • Aaron Gordon records 18/10/5/1 line in Game 5 win
    Aaron Gordon finished Tuesday’s 112-97 win over the Timberwolves with 18 points (7-of-14 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), 10 rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 34 minutes.

    Advice: Gordon recorded his first double-double of the series on Tuesday, supplementing the Herculean efforts of Nikola Jokic to help the Nuggets take a 3-2 series lead. While he missed his lone 3-point attempt, AG has been a credible shooter from beyond the arc and the foul line. Counting Tuesday’s numbers, Gordon is shooting 8-of-13 from three and 9-of-12 from the charity stripe. During the regular season, he shot 29% from three and 65.8% from the foul line, so the production in this series has been a departure from the norm. However, a five-game sample size is nothing to scoff at. Gordon and the Nuggets will look to close out the series in Game 6 on Thursday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:12 pm
     
  • Unstoppable: Nikola Jokic goes off for 40 points
    Nikola Jokic played 40 minutes in Tuesday’s 112-97 win over Minnesota, tallying 40 points (15-of-22 FGs, 8-of-9 FTs), seven rebounds, 13 assists, two steals, one block, and two 3-pointers.

    Advice: For the first time in this series, the home team won. And Jokic was the deciding factor, as Minnesota had no answer for him in Game 5. The Joker became the second player in NBA postseason history to finish a game with at least 40 points, 10 assists, and no turnovers, joining Chris Paul (2018). On the night he received his third Most Valuable Player trophy, Jokic showed the basketball world why he was bestowed that honor. He and the Nuggets will look to wrap up the series on Thursday night in Minneapolis. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:08 pm
     
  • Records five assists in Game 5
    Haliburton tallied 13 points (5-9 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in Tuesday's 121-91 loss to the Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Haliburton's five assists tied T.J. McConnell for most on the Pacers in Game 5. Haliburton failed to reach 20 points after doing so over the past three games, though he managed to contribute on the defensive end of the floor, recording two blocks for the first time this postseason. Haliburton is averaging 18.5 points on 48.1 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.3 steals across 35.3 minutes per game in the playoffs. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 8:33 pm