T-wolves munch Nuggets, Knicks edge Pacers

NEW YORK — The Minnesota Timberwolves produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory.

In Monday’s other playoff game, Jalen Brunson had a scintillating fourth quarter as the New York Knicks edged the Indiana Pacers 121-117 in their Eastern Conference opener.

The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off.

The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to Denver who posted just six steals and five blocks.

Remarkably, Minnesota’s dominance was achieved without Rudy Gobert, the Frenchman who is one of the defensive pillars of the Timberwolves line-up.

Gobert skipped the game in order to be with his partner after the birth of the couple’s son earlier Monday.

“When you don’t got the defensive player of the year, you got to step your game up,” Towns said afterwards.