The Minnesota Timberwolves bounced back in game two of the first round of the playoffs to take down the Denver Nuggets 119-114 and even the series at 1-1 and in a tight game like was played on Monday, every point counts. 

The Nuggets and Timberwolves have clashed plenty of times over the last few seasons and each time it's shaped up to be a competitive matchup between the Western Conference rivals. These two teams know each other well and have shown that they can each respond to the pressure that the other can apply.

As the Timberwolves showed on Monday, they're just as able to respond to the Nuggets as the Nuggets are able to respond to them and that makes every game that the two play against each other, especially in the playoffs, the kind of game where every decision gets put under a microscope. 

One of the pivotal decisions late in Monday's game was one that Denver star Nikola Jokic made. 

With less than 20 seconds left in the game and the Nuggets trailing by two, Jokic found the ball in his hands and he was poised to push in a shot from just under midrange the same way that he had so many other times this season. 

Instead, he kicked it out to Christian Braun, who drew a foul right after and earned a trip to the line with a chance to tie the game. Braun missed his first free throw, and eve though he made his second shot, the Nuggets were still trailing with time running out.

The Timberwolves scored four straight points to pad their lead and close out the game, but Braun's missed free throw is one of those plays that warrants reconsideration to see if being tied at that point of the game could have changed Denver's approach and altered the end result of the game.

Regardless of what could have happened, Braun maintained his trust in Jokic for going to him in that moment and took the full blame for not delivering at the line.

"I think whatever decision that Nikola makes is the right one," Braun said (via Nuggets). "He's the best player in the world for a reason. So, whatever decision that guy makes, we'll live it with it every time. Like I said, I've got to step up and make that free throw. That's on me. It's not on him not shooting the floater. He made the right pass."

Heading into Minnesota with the series tied, there's still a lot more basketball to be played and above all Braun is resolute to move forward from his mistakes and make sure that the way he plays moving forward makes up for it.