This wasnt close. With the Denver Nuggets missing Aaron Gordon with a calf injury, the Minnesota Timberwolves jumped out to a 25-11 first-quarter lead in Game 3 and never looked back. The Wolves came away with a 113-96 victory and a 2-1 series lead behind a team effort and a dominating defensive performance that included holding Nikola Joki to 27 points on 7-for-26 shooting.Lets get to some takeaways.The Minnesota Timberwolves defendedThe Nuggets led the NBA this season in points per game (122.1 PPG). The Nuggets led the NBA this season in offensive rating (121.2). The Nuggets scored 96 points in Game 3. Minnesota pressured and sped up the Nuggets right from the jump. By the end of the first quarter, the Nuggets were 3 for 21 from the field (1 of 9 from 3). Active ball pressure bogged the Nuggets attack down, physicality disrupted their off-ball movement. The Wolves flew around all night long to keep Denver in a box. Denver had only 12 assists as a team in Game 3. For comparison, Joki averaged 10.7 a night in the regular season. Rudy Gobert protected the paint and contested versus Joki. Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo hounded Jamal Murray. Denvers dynamic duo combined to shoot 12 for 43, a credit to the Wolves game plan and execution.Ayo, look at this team effortIf you wondered what the ceiling was for Minnesota after it added Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline, it was on display in Game 3. His ability to defend and attack in transition always jumped off the page, but on Thursday night we saw a command within what Minnesota wanted to do. His drives were consistent, his paint touches were important and his ability to punish Denvers defense was key. He and DiVincenzo allowed the Wolves to find a flow in the second quarter.Think about this: Anthony Edwards played only 23 minutes, with eight of those coming in the second half, and I did not feel that until typing this very sentence. That was the impact of the team effort from Minnesota. McDaniels set the tone with his postgame comments after Game 2. Its one thing to talk the talk, its another thing to walk the walk, and he ended up strutting like Oba Femi in this one. The ball pressure and screen navigation against Murray were one thing, but the cuts, drives and dunks offensively were another. It would be hyperbole to call this Goberts most impactful game, but it was a reminder of his impact for Minnesota. There was a confidence from Gobert (see: left-hand hook), a command as far as keeping the flow going, and a trust from his teammates to make the right play.Where does Denver go from hereLosing Gordon was a big blow, but the contrast between the group we saw in Game 1 and the group we saw in Game 3 is like night and day. Joki/Murray shooting aside, this was one of the rare occasions we didnt feel the force of Denvers offense. All of their off-ball actions, cuts and movement were disrupted. Ball movement became a stagnant adventure. Transition attacks did not feel as dangerous. Pressure points were not hit. The defense that looked great in Game 1 and slipped in Game 2 disappeared in Game 3. The Nuggets have to get back to (at the very least) their identity to deal with this Wolves team. The offense has to keep the pressure on, getting the ball where they want, and playing with their tempo. And the defense cannot be what weve seen the last two games. The formula is there, but the effort has to match: never forget that Wolves can detect their prey.