This wasn’t just a loss for the Denver Nuggets; it was another humbling game in a series that has completely flipped on them. The Minnesota Timberwolves punched them in the mouth and sit firmly in command of the series at 3-1.
And the scary part? This didn’t even feel like Minnesota’s cleanest game. Yet they still outrebounded Denver by 12 (50-38), outshot them from three by 15 percentage points (36.0% to 21.4%), and once again exposed every crack in what used to look like a championship machine.
Let’s break down what we actually learned, because at this point, this isn’t random. This is a pattern.
1. Dosunmu Had An Iconic Performance In Franchise History
We have to call Ayo Dosunmu‘s performance in Game 4 a truly iconic moment in franchise history. He had 43 points. 13-17 shooting. 5-5 from three. 12-12 at the line. That’s a ridiculous stat line.
Edwards finished with a near-perfect scoring night, posting a ridiculous 76% from the field and a true shooting percentage flirting with perfection.
What stands out even more? Control. He only had 1 turnover despite carrying the offense, and Minnesota didn’t even need him to rack up assists (just 1) because he bent the defense so badly it created everything else.
Meanwhile, Denver had no answers. Different defenders, different coverages – same result. Edwards got wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
This isn’t a breakout anymore. This is a takeover.
2. Nikola Jokic Is Producing… But Not Dominating
On paper, Nikola Jokic looks solid: 24 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists. That’s a near triple-double.
But dig deeper, and it tells a different story:
- 8-22 shooting (36.0%)
- 0-3 from three
- -12 plus/minus
- 9 assists vs. Minnesota’s 22 team assists overall flow
He’s working harder for everything. Minnesota (mainly because of Rudy Gobert) is making him a volume scorer instead of an efficient playmaking hub, and it’s working. Denver only had 21 assists as a team, while Minnesota constantly generated clean looks.
Even more telling: the Nuggets scored just 96 total points on 37.9% shooting. Jokic’s numbers feel like empty stats, not winning ones. We have to give credit to what Gobert has done in this series.
3. Denver’s Supporting Cast Has Completely Disappeared
This is where the series is really being lost. Outside of Jokic and Jamal Murray (30 points on 10-25), the Nuggets got almost nothing. The starters not named Jokic/Murray combined for 23 points. Christian Braun: 2 points (0-4 FG), -19 was a non-factor.
Cameron Johnson (9 points, -12) and the bench unit (just 16 total points outside of Hardaway’s 10) were just as bad. And the shooting? Brutal.
They went 6-28 from three (21.4%), and multiple rotation players went scoreless or had near-zero impact. Compare that to Minnesota’s depth:
- Naz Reid: 17 & 9
- Ayo Dosunmu: 43 points on 13-17 shooting
- Mike Conley: 5 assists, steadying the offense off the bench
Minnesota isn’t just beating Denver’s stars on the stat sheet, as they are burying their role players.
4. Minnesota Is Dominating The Glass And The Paint
This has quietly been one of the biggest themes of the series, and it showed up again in a big way. The Timberwolves outrebounded the Nuggets 50-38, won the offensive rebounds battle (16-12), and points in the paint (54-42).
Rudy Gobert was a monster on the glass with 15 rebounds (5 offensive), and Jaden McDaniels chipped in 10 boards himself. Minnesota is generating extra possessions while also controlling defensive rebounds, and that’s a deadly combo.
Denver only had 6 offensive rebounds total, meaning very few second-chance opportunities. When you combine that with Denver’s poor shooting, it’s basically one-and-done basketball… while Minnesota keeps piling on chances.
5. This Series Has Completely Flipped, And Denver Looks Outmatched
Let’s zoom out for a second.
- Game 3: Blowout loss
- Game 4: Another double-digit loss
- Series: 3-1 Timberwolves
- Largest lead tonight: Minnesota by 16
- Denver led for just 44% of this game
And maybe the most alarming stat of all is that Minnesota shot 43.8% overall, not even elite, and still controlled the game comfortably.
That tells you everything. They don’t need to be perfect to beat Denver right now.
The Nuggets, on the other hand, need near-perfect execution just to stay competitive, and they’re nowhere close to that level. The offense is stagnant, the defense is breaking, and the depth has completely collapsed.
This doesn’t feel like a competitive series anymore. It feels like one team has all the answers… and the other is running out of time to even find the questions.
