The Denver Nuggets head into Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series tied 1-1 with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and coach David Adelman said the path forward starts with one basic correction. “Rebound the ball. We win that game if we rebound the ball,” Adelman said during Wednesday’s practice interview.
Adelman pointed directly to the gap in second-chance production after the first two games. “20 to 3 second chance points in a playoff game is insane,” he said, adding that the Nuggets also surrendered “multiple tipped balls, loose balls at half court that led to points for them, free throws for them.”
He said the defensive structure has mostly held up, but finishing possessions must improve. “If we clean that up and do the same things we’ve been doing, I think we’ll be in a good spot,” Adelman said.
Minnesota’s comments about Denver’s defense did not move him much. When asked about Jaden McDaniels calling his team ‘bad defenders’, Adelman replied, “I can’t wait for his podcast.” He added that the reaction around the league tends to grow quickly, saying, “Everybody has a sounding board nowadays. It’ll help his social media.”
Adelman said the Nuggets’ half-court defense has been acceptable when they secure the glass. “I think if we rebound the ball, our halfcourt defense has been okay,” he said. “It’s about finishing possessions and they did a better job than we did.”
He stressed that the playoffs are usually decided by who controls the ball. “In the playoffs, the ball is key. If they have the ball, that leads to free throws, that leads to kick out threes, that leads to defenses having more chances,” Adelman said. “If you have the ball, you’re in control.”
Offensively, Adelman did not see a major issue in Denver’s shot quality late in Game 2. “I thought our halfcourt offense struggled. I thought we missed really good shots,” he said, pointing to looks from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray that he still wants his group to take.
He also praised the role players who have to defend up a position, including Cam Johnson, saying, “You just got to fight.” On Julius Randle, he was blunt: “Randle’s going to score on people. That’s what he does.”
Adelman gave similar respect to Rudy Gobert and Minnesota’s interior defense. “He’s a four-time Defensive Player of the Year for a reason,” he said. “I believe that those shots will go down if we continue to do what we do.”
The Nuggets are also managing injuries, with Peyton Watson “day by day” and definitely out for Game 3. Adelman said, “It’s cool to see the staff come back here after working their ass off all season,” as Denver leans on depth and preparation for a swing game in Minneapolis.
