In a rematch of the 2024 Western Conference Semi-Finals, the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves faced off in an epic showdown at Ball Arena. As two of the deepest teams in the West, fans knew this was going to be a competitive game, and that’s exactly what it was as both sides battled it out in a tight race to the end.Â
The tone was set in the first quarter, with the Nuggets up by just six points after 12 minutes. The Timberwolves responded by winning the next two quarters by 11 points combined. As the game was drawing to a close, the Timberwolves made a run at the last minute that gave them the edge and the narrow one-point victory (140-139).
Anthony Edwards was struggling for most of the game, but he exploded in the second half to finish with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists per game on 48.0% shooting. In the frontcourt, Rudy Gobert dropped 19 points, 12 rebounds, and one assist while Julius Randle had 26 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists on 50% shooting.
Nikola Jokic has another historic performance with 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists on 62.1% shooting. Aaron Gordon dropped 30 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in 47 minutes. Finally, off the bench, Russell Westbrook finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and seven assists on 36.4% shooting.
The Nuggets were 0-3 against the Timberwolves this season, which does not include their devastating series loss in the 2024 playoffs. They were hungry for revenge tonight, and to crack the code on beating the Timberwolves, but the Nuggets ultimately failed to get it done and gave Minnesota a win that put them in play for a top-six seed in the West.
Anthony Edwards Goes Off
As a frontrunner for MVP this season, it’s no surprise that Nikola Jokic had another historic performance. Without Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr., the Nuggets were extremely shorthanded, but Jokic nearly carried them to victory tonight in what might easily be one of his best games of the season.
The Nuggets superstar scored a new career-high with 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists on 62.1% shooting. Down the stretch, however, it was Anthony Edwards who sealed the deal for his team, and he’s the one who ultimately won this battle. After struggling with his shot all night, he found a rhythm in the second half to keep his team alive and carry the offense.
Edwards, 23, dropped 34 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists per game on 48.9% shooting. At one point in the fourth quarter, Edwards went on an 8-0 run by himself to give the Wolves a lead and later secure the victory after double overtime. While Jokic put up the better numbers, Edwards put it up when it counted the most, and it was enough to come out victorious.
Defensive Collapse For Denver
The Denver Nuggets aren’t known for their defensive efforts, but the fans are reeling after they spoiled Nikola Jokic’s career night. Not only did the Denver defense allow 140 points on their home floor, but they gave up a lot of open looks down the stretch that likely cost them the game.
Zone defense has been surprisingly effective for the Nuggets this year, and they should have used it more tonight to try and slow down the Timberwolves. Instead, Minnesota kept using pick and rolls to free up their shooters, which allowed them to get hot and spark a comeback in the closing act of the game.
As a team, the Wolves shot 48.8% from the field and 38.0% from three. They went 17-25 from the charity stripe with 14 turnovers. Thanks to Anthony Edwards and other relentless scorers, the Wolves were able to hang around with the Nuggets and are now tied with the Grizzlies for the sixth seed in the West.
Timberwolves Bench Stepped Up
After losing players like Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets were already playing with a thin rotation this season. So when the Nuggets came into this game missing half of their starters, it was a major disadvantage.
The carry job was so bad for the Nuggets that Russell Westbrook was the only player to score more than two points off the bench. Comparatively, the Timberwolves had six players score in double figures, and their bench completely outplayed the Nuggets tonight.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Minott, Jaylen Clark, and Rob Dillingham combined to drop 40 points as reserves, and they excelled in overtime when the Nuggets started to get tired. In truth, the Wolves are the deeper team overall in both star power and depth, and they showed tonight why that can be a huge problem for a team like the Nuggets, who depend too much on one player to make things happen for them.
The Nuggets and Timberwolves have title ambitions this season, and it will require total domination from their leading stars. Tonight, we saw a glimpse of a potential playoff battle, and while the Nuggets may have the better overall record, the Timberwolves are proving to be a rough matchup for the 2023 NBA champions.
If they meet again in the postseason, it’s not going to be good news for the Nuggets. Then again, with 3x MVP Nikola Jokic on the team, you can never really count them out.
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