3 studs and 3 duds from Nuggets game 4 win over Timberwolves

Stud #3: Nuggets bench

One of the biggest stories to watch all season has been the play of the Nuggets’ bench. It has disappointed at times, and largely been dominated so far in this series, but in game 4, they showed up in a big way.

Christian Braun, Justin Holiday, and Reggie Jackson were the only Denver players to see time off the bench, but all had major contributions. The trio combined to score 27 points on 8/14 shooting and 6/9 from three-point range.

Perhaps as importantly, all three bench players had a positive +/-, including Braun who was a team-high +11 on the night. They helped the Nuggets miraculously win the minutes while Jokic sat, which is essentially a death sentence for opposing teams.

Beyond the huge scoring boost and timely shooting, all three guys played excellent defense. Braun may be the best defensive matchup the Nuggets have for Anthony Edwarsd and he was even brought in to close out the game in place of Michael Porter Jr. (more on him shortly). 

Holiday and Jackson both did a great job chasing shooters and rebounding the ball and Jackson was able to force a crucial offensive foul. The Nuggets aren’t looking for much, but if they can continue to win the bench minutes, they’ll be in great shape.