Watch- Nuggets and Timberwolves get into a massive scuffle after Kyle Anderson elbows Christian Braun
Tempers flared during the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets Game 1 on Sunday when Christian Braun and Kyle Anderson got into it. Nuggets rookie Braun and T'Wolves veteran forward Anderson got tangled up toward the end of the third quarter after the latter shot the ball despite it being a dead possession.
Anderson pushed Braun away, and the latter charged at him, but players from both sides stepped in to stop the situation from getting escalated. Here's a clip of the incident:
@BleacherReportThings are getting spicy in Denver 😳
Nuggets and Timberwolves scuffle after Kyle Anderson elbowed Christian Braun.
Anderson was given a Flagrant 1.
🎥 @BleacherReport https://t.co/CysbRTKSwI
Anderson was issued a Flagrant 1 foul for his role in the altercation. Coaches from both benches also stepped in to control the situation. Players from both teams were fired up. The Timberwolves, in particular, seemed frustrated as the team was down 25 points entering the fourth period. Jamal Murray got the fans into it by gesturing to get louder as Denver continued to build pressure on the Timberwolves.
The Nuggets took complete control of the game in the third quarter, extending their 11-point advantage at the half to 32 points. Denver outscored Minnesota 32-14 in the third quarter.
The Nuggets had six players scoring at least 13 points in this game. Jamal Murray was the only player to cross the 20-point mark until the start of the fourth. He finished with 24 points. MVP Nikola Jokic continued to dominate with his all-round play, recording a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. He also had six assists.
Denver Nuggets limit concerns over their ability to make a deep run
The Denver Nuggets were heavily doubted entering the 2023 NBA Playoffs, despite being the No. 1 seed. Their Game 1 109-80 blowout win over the Minnesota Timberwolves has limited concerns over their ability to thrive in the playoffs.
Denver looked unbeatable against Minnesota, who had the tools to compete. However, Michael Malone's team proved too efficient on both ends. The Nuggets made 45.6% of their shots, including 16-of-39 from deep, while limiting the T'Wolves to 37.0% shooting and 11-of-36 from deep.
Nuggets blow out Wolves 109-80 to take 1-0 series lead
Murray: 24 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST https://t.co/5tMvhnoFlR
Denver was excellent in containing the Timberwolves' star players Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. Edwards had 18 points on 40.0% shooting, Towns tallied 11 points on 5-of-15 shooting and Gobert had eight points on five attempts.
Denver's performances have dropped off over the past few games of the regular season, questioning their credentials to win the Western Conference. However, they answered their critics in style and will hope to continue dominating their opponents as they did on Sunday moving forward.