Timberwolves come back to stun Nuggets in playoffs, Hawks level series with Knicks

[p]A titanic duel in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denver-nuggets/CxvW27TI/"]Denver[/a] saw the Wolves overturn an early 19-point deficit before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/denver-nuggets-CxvW27TI/minnesota-timberwolves-KjBIVQcI/?mid=Yomw7j5L"]a clinical fourth-quarter display sealed a crucial victory[/a] in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.[/p][p]The Nuggets, 116-105 winners in Game 1 on Saturday, picked up where they left off with a blistering first-quarter performance that pushed them into a 39-25 lead.[/p][p][b]But the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-timberwolves/KjBIVQcI/"]Timberwolves[/a] bounced back in the second quarter to tie the game 64-64 at half-time before edging the second half.[/b][/p][embed guid="abdb6eee-9c8b-4db0-8a24-2fc6bc1ec7ed" url="https://x.com/i/status/2046461159771976179" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/edwards-anthony/6u0BMZM2/"]Edwards[/a] was backed by 24 points from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/randle-julius/lhl0euwn/"]Julius Randle[/a] while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/divincenzo-donte/4zqUIf5Q/"]Donte DiVincenzo[/a] added 16.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/murray-jamal/Ig5nQrEF/"]Jamal Murray[/a] led the Denver scoring with 30 points while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokic-nikola/dUHaiJ5n/"]Nikola Jokic[/a] added 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.[/p][p][b]"We did what we expected to do," [/b]Randle said.[/p][p][b]"When you're coming on the road to start a series, you want to steal one. So we did that, and now we go home, and we've got two days to get our bodies right."[/b][/p][image alt="Anthony Edwards shone for the Timberwolves" id="cd836962-0018-4a48-85cf-86c3684a57f5" credit-line="Flashscore / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images" guid="0e42882d-aae3-4860-98ff-a42b472bfd26" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][h2]Hawks level series with Knicks[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mccollum-c-j/tl29t9eg/"]CJ McCollum[/a] scored 32 points and led a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback as the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atlanta-hawks/xAO4gBas/"]Atlanta Hawks[/a] overturned a 12-point deficit to score a series-levelling [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/atlanta-hawks-xAO4gBas/new-york-knicks-WCNO4nbt/?mid=nTPkYS3K"]107-106[/a] defeat of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a].[/p][p]Atlanta looked poised to fall 2-0 down in the series after trailing a confident Knicks line-up by as much as 14 points in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden.[/p][p]But the Hawks roared back to life in the fourth quarter, hauling themselves back into the contest with an 11-0 run to take a 103-100 lead with under two minutes remaining.[/p][embed guid="fc6b45bf-3f05-4bf6-a1aa-0414f64a1033" url="https://x.com/i/status/2046426396465963062" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]A [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brunson-jalen/YLRvL3v7/"]Jalen Brunson[/a] three-pointer tied it at 103-103, but McCollum calmly nailed a fadeaway jump shot to put Atlanta back in front before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnson-jalen/St5Wx0bR/"]Jalen Johnson[/a]'s dunk gave the Hawks a 107-103 lead with 10 seconds remaining.[/b][/p][p]Another Brunson three-pointer cut the lead to 107-106 to set up a frantic finale, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bridges-mikal/hCRWwI1R/"]Mikal Bridges[/a] missed an attempted buzzer-beater for New York, and Atlanta claimed the win.[/p][embed guid="705e7578-cd32-4965-bc08-c53966e7c162" url="https://x.com/ATLHawks/status/2046426664167481705" social-type="twitter" /][p]Earlier on Monday, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/cleveland-cavaliers-xGk13Tb6/toronto-raptors-CxtbCMdU/?mid=EsMlE7Cl"]Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors 115-105[/a] to take a 2-0 series lead.[/p]