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National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Denver 131, Minnesota 102
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 26, 2012
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Officials: #36 David Jones, #55 Bill Kennedy, #31 Scott Wall
Attendance: 14824


NUGGETS 131, TIMBERWOLVES 102: JaVale McGee led the way with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting as seven different players reached double figures for visiting Denver, which clinched the No. 6 seed in the West.

Arron Afflalo scored 18 points and Danilo Gallinari added 17 for the Nuggets, who will open the playoffs on the road at the Los Angeles Lakers.

Needing the win to ensure the No. 6 spot, Denver left no doubt that it had the offense to make some noise in the postseason. The Nuggets shot 63 percent from the floor, including 50 percent (5 for 10) from beyond the arc against lowly Minnesota.

Denver went up 61-42 at the half and never looked back, putting up 32 points in the third quarter and 38 more in the fourth to coast to the finish.

The Timberwolves, who at one time were challenging for a playoff spot, closed out the season having lost 13 of their last 14 games.

J.J. Barea scored 20 points and Nikola Pekovic collected 18 points and 11 rebounds to provide the few bright spots for Minnesota.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Nuggets dominated the boards, building up a 48-29 advantage on the glass. … The Timberwolves announced earlier in the week that Kevin Love (concussion) and Luke Ridnour (ankle) would miss the finale. … The only player on Denver to shoot less than 50 percent from the floor was Andre Miller, who shot 2 for 5.

Top Game Performances
 
Denver   Minnesota
JaVale McGee 19 Scoring Jose Juan Barea 20
Andre Miller 10 Assists Jose Juan Barea 5
Kosta Koufos 11 Rebounds Nikola Pekovic 10
Danilo Gallinari 7 Free Throws Made Jose Juan Barea 3
Ty Lawson 2 Steals Brad Miller 2
Timofey Mozgov 2 Blocks Wesley Johnson 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Denver 131 62.9 5-10 14-20 30 48 4 9 16
Minnesota 102 44.9 10-27 12-19 22 29 4 5 13
Upcoming Games
  • Denver will play their next game on the road against L.A. Lakers. The Nuggets have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.