Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker stated he didn’t think back to Game 3’s crushing 107-90 defeat and his late-game collision with Denver’s three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Sunday is a new day, and Game 4 is a new game.
He was furious that Jokic wasn’t called for a foul for the leaning screen he placed on him close to the three-point line because all he received from the collision was a technical penalty. Kyle Anderson, Alexander-Walker’s teammate, also received a technical foul for arguing.
Alexander-Walker fell to the floor, rolling all the way to the spectators sat courtside. He appeared to be in discomfort as he lingered there for a little while. With less than six minutes remaining and his side behind by a score of more than twenty points, he eventually left the court and entered the tunnel.
At Sunday’s Game 4 shootaround, Walker-Alexander admitted, “I kind of flushed it down the toilet, to be honest,” regarding the play and the game. “I never again glanced at Jokic’s screen. We were aware of its nature. Together, we tackled it. How can we improve ourselves? We didn’t want to focus on feelings or other related topics. Just pay attention.”
Alexander-Walker was not included in the Wolves’ Game 4 injury report.
He said, “I feel good,” early on Sunday.
Mike Conley, the experienced point guard for the Wolves, was questioned on Sunday morning about the extent to which these kinds of events and feelings affect the upcoming playoff game or games.
For a few, according to Conley. “I know it probably does for Nickeil. He may purposefully bump into a few screens tonight. You never know. The game is tangible. We are aware of it. With those screens, we’re all in business. Each of us lends those screens to others. Like the rest of us, I am confident he will be prepared to play.”
During the regular season, the Wolves only lost three straight games and only four times in a row. They are also 10-0 following ten-plus losses, which included the opening round of the playoffs versus Phoenix. Prior to Friday’s crushing, they had a 6-0 record in the playoffs. In this best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series, they are ahead 2-1.
“I expect the exact same response they had to us the last game,” Conley stated. “Exit with a feeling of haste, a hint of rage, emotion, and everything connected there. Guys hate to lose, especially when it happens at home like it did here. Though the way I went out was embarrassing, the guys will be all set.”
