Karl-Anthony Towns achieved 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Anthony Edwards also contributed 27 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves won over the Denver Nuggets with a score of 106-80 on Monday, securing a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Minus Rudy Gobert, who was absent from the team due to the birth of his first child, Minnesota emerged victorious over the reigning NBA champions. They are now set to return to Minneapolis for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Friday.

Even in the absence of Gobert, a three-time recipient of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, the Timberwolves managed to limit Denver to their lowest point total of the season.

Jamal Murray struggled, scoring only eight points on a 3-for-18 shooting performance, despite securing a career-high of 13 rebounds. Nikola Jokic concluded the game with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points, while Justin Holiday added 13 points coming off the bench. Reggie Jackson exited the game in the fourth quarter due to an apparent injury.

Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker both contributed 14 points for the Timberwolves, who have now kicked off their playoff journey with six consecutive victories.

Minnesota’s offense flowed smoothly, with Towns spearheading by scoring 20 points in the first half. The team shot at a 54.5 percent rate before halftime. A commanding performance across the first and second quarters allowed the Timberwolves to seize control of the game.

After maintaining a narrow 18-17 lead, Minnesota outplayed Denver 24-5, establishing a 20-point advantage following a Reid 3-pointer with 8:05 remaining in the first half. Although the Nuggets closed the gap to 43-28, Minnesota finished the second quarter strongly, leading 61-35 at halftime.

Denver’s struggles continued into the third quarter, enabling the Timberwolves to extend their lead to as much as 32 points after Alexander-Walker’s 3-pointer at the 7:20 mark.

The Nuggets managed to find some offensive momentum towards the end of the third quarter, bringing the score to 82-60 heading into the final period.

Jackson kicked off the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, reducing the deficit to 19. However, Denver missed a couple more long-range shots thereafter. Towns converted two free throws, and soon after Alexander-Walker nailed his fourth 3-pointer, widening the lead to 87-65 with 9:18 left on the clock.

A subsequent surge extended the difference to 97-72 as Minnesota sealed the victory.