The Minnesota Timberwolves played on Monday without Defensive Player of the Year finalist Rudy Gobert.
It did not matter.
The Timberwolves clamped down on the Denver Nuggets from the opening tip and cruised to a 106-80 blowout win. The point total was the lowest of the season for Denver and the second time in two playoff games the Timberwolves held the Nuggets below 100 points. With the victory, Minnesota took a commanding 2-0 series lead with a pair of road wins over the reigning NBA champions.
Barring significant adjustments in Games 3 and 4, the champs could have just played their last home game of the season.