Regardless of what you thought of Jaden McDaniels calling the entire Denver Nuggets team bad defenders after Game 2's win, it was clear that he needed to follow this up with a big game. You simply can't say this and not follow it up with a strong performance. Thankfully, for the Minnesota Timberwolves, McDaniels backed up his comments with a stellar Game 3 performance.
McDaniels notched 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting en route to a 113-96 Wolves win. It felt fitting that McDaniels capped off his night with this ferocious dunk.
JMAC IS NOT MESSING AROUND pic.twitter.com/tNamy0rPUA
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 24, 2026
Minnesota's offensive game plan was clear from the opening jump, and it was a continuation of their Game 2 success -- attack the paint and punish mismatches. McDaniels scored nine of his 20 points in the first quarter, and six of his nine field goals came at the rim. As a team, the Wolves scored an impressive 68 points in the paint, exposing both Denver's poor rim protection and point of attack defense.
Whether it was attacking mismatches like Jamal Murray, finishing over Nikola Jokic, or getting out in transition, McDaniels continually pressured the Nuggets' defense -- and they had no answer for him, especially with Aaron Gordon sidelined. After the game, Chris Finch praised McDaniels' performance as "inspirational," and I couldn't agree more.
The Nuggets' defense is a clear weakness that the Wolves must keep attacking
It was always clear to me that attacking the Nuggets' bottom-10-ranked defense was the easiest path to the Wolves pulling off an upset. Likewise, it was clear that McDaniels would draw one of the Nuggets' weaker matchups, and the Wolves would have to lean into attacking these mismatches. Thus far, they've done just that.
On the other side of the ball, McDaniels has been central to stopping the Nuggets' high-powered offense, shutting down Murray. Game 3 was the best example of McDaniels' elite defense on Murray, as he shot just 5-for-17 from the floor. For the series, he is now shooting just 35.9 percent from the field with McDaniels guarding him on most possessions. McDaniels has given Murray no space to operate and has completely shut his water off.
Being an elite defender inherently gives McDaniels more ground to judge bad defense. In every possible way, McDaniels is walking the walk, not just talking the talk.
Undoubtedly, McDaniels' two-way impact in this series has been one of the key reasons why they now hold a 2-1 lead. You may have thought that his comments about the Nuggets' defense were arrogant. However, you can't say that he was wrong -- especially after this game.
The Nuggets' 21st-ranked defense is the worst offensive/defensive unit of any playoff team. They lack defenders both at the point of attack and at the rim, and thus have plenty of players to target, including their two best offensive players. Furthermore, they don't have the speed or athleticism to keep up with the Wolves if they're pressuring the rim.
All in all, Game 3's dominant performance proves that McDaniels' comments were spot on. With a chance to go up 3-1, the Wolves must keep their foot on the gas and keep attacking the Nuggets' subpar defense.
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