Nuggets, Pacers tie playoff series

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The defending champion Denver Nuggets outgunned the Minnesota Timberwolves, 115-107, to level their National Basketball Association (NBA) playoff series while the Indiana Pacers pulled even with the New York Knicks.

The Nuggets, fueled by 35 points from NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon’s 27 points on ruthlessly efficient 11-of-12 shooting and 19 points from Jamal Murray, claimed a second straight win in Minneapolis to knot their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series at two games apiece.

The Pacers dismantled the Knicks, 121-89, in Indianapolis to level their Eastern Conference semifinal at 2-2.

“Now it’s best of three,” Jokic said, adding that the Timberwolves’ stunning victories in Games 1 and 2 in Denver had only strengthened the defending champions.

“We took a hit and we bounced back and hopefully we can defend the home court now,” said Jokic, looking forward to Game 5 in Denver on Tuesday.

The Nuggets withstood a 44-point performance from Anthony Edwards, but the Timberwolves star just didn’t have enough scoring support despite an energetic effort from the hosts.

Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 13 points but was 0-for-7 in the first quarter, when the Nuggets closed the period on a 14-2 run to seize a five-point lead.

Edwards’ dunk with less than a minute left in the first half cut what had been a 16-point deficit to seven.

Jokic then came up with a steal and fed Michael Porter Jr. for a dunk and Murray grabbed a steal, turned and unleashed a buzzer-beating shot from beyond the half-court line that swished through and sent the Nuggets into the break with a 64-49 lead.