2. Nuggets' hot 3-point shooting will even out
The Nuggets shot 48.3 percent from downtown in Game 3—their best 3-point shooting percentage of the playoffs. Denver made 14-of-29 triples. Michael Porter Jr. went 4-of-5, Aaron Gordon 3-of-4, Jamal Murray 2-of-5, and Justin Holiday drilled 2-of-3 attempts from beyond the arc.
Denver is shooting a measly 34.0 percent from long range in the playoffs. Of all remaining squads, the Nuggets hold the worst percentage. Throughout the playoffs, Denver has excelled at scoring on the interior. Thus shooting nearly 50 percent from three in combination with Nikola Jokic's interior presence makes Denver a force to be reckoned with.
Luckily for Wolves fans, it's unlikely the Nuggets drill such a high percentage in back-to-back affairs. Denver made a living off open 3-pointers in Game 3. Whether it be by a defensive breakdown or a clean look after a pick-and-roll, tidying up on allowing open-looks is of the essence.
The Timberwolves allowed Gordon to get whatever look he wanted from beyond the arc. This time around, the "open Gordon" strategy didn't pay off as he knocked down three triples for the second game in a row. Coincidentally, the Wolves are the only team Gordon has made more than two 3-pointers in a game against this season.
Although the high-flying forward has buried most of his 3-point attempts thus far, forcing a 29.0 percent shooter from beyond the arc to make 3-pointers is a sound strategy. The remaining four starters all shot 35.9 percent from three or better in the regular season. Even though Murray and Jokic haven't lit up from deep in the postseason, it's better allowing Gordon to shoot from the perimeter.