Nuggets Fans Thrilled With Win Over Timberwolves Despite Subpar Start

The Denver Nuggets’ reward for earning the third seed in the 2026 NBA Western Conference playoffs is a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, whose victory in game seven of a 2024 series is arguably the most painful moment of the Nikola Jokić era. Revenge for this ignominy is still a long ways off, but the Nugs’ 116-105 win in the opening round’s first contest on April 18 tasted sweet anyhow — particularly given a Denver start that legitimately qualified as pathetic.

That Denver topped fifty wins in the regular campaign was borderline miraculous given the number of injuries to starters the squad incurred along the way: Jokić missed seventeen games and Aaron Gordon, whose presence is absolutely key to the Nuggets’ success, was out for much longer than that owing to a recurring hamstring issue that seems as if it could flare up again at any moment. On paper, though, the crew is relatively healthy, with only bench powerhouse Peyton Watson listed as inactive.

As for the Timberwolves, star Anthony Edwards has been dealing with a gimpy knee of late — a fact that convinced a significant percentage of Nuggets Nation that Minnesota would be as easy for Denver to thump as a cowbell at a Blue Oyster Cult concert.

Not so much. Edwards did indeed seem to have a pronounced limp on occasion during the Saturday afternoon tilt, and he deferred to teammates such as Jaden McDaniels more often than usual. But he still managed to notch 22 points, and his get-off remained elite when he put his mind to storming the lane.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets did what they usually do when playing in the afternoons: stink, at least at the outset. Jokić had three uncharacteristic turnovers in the initial quarter, during which he and his brethren shot a horrendous six of 21 from the field. During the worst moments, the D-men seemed as if they couldn’t hit a circus tightrope net, let alone one hanging from an orange rim, with the Wolves’ 33-23 advantage going into quarter two.

That’s when things changed, and Jamal Murray gets the credit. Murray began hitting midrange jumpers; when he drove into the paint, he consistently triggered whistles from referees. It was a different tone from the previous Nuggets-Timberwolves playoffs faceoff, when the Wolves were allowed to hammer on Jokić like a construction crew. He hit an impressive fifteen consecutive free throws in the half, helping the Nugs to steadily erase the double-digit deficit. The score was tied at 62 apiece at the break, but the momentum was all on the Nuggets’ side.

The third stanza went even better, as the Timberwolves went cold at the very instant when Denver dialed up the temp, totaling just seventeen points during that twelve-minute stretch. Just as important, Jokić finally began to make the occasional shot to supplement his measly six points up until then. Of course, he eventually recorded a triple double.

Entering the fourth, the Nuggets had built up a twelve-point bulge, but it didn’t last. The Wolves got to within two before Denver got serious again. Faced with a significant hill to climb, Minnesota started to slide backward. McDaniels had already racked up a technical for an ultra-stupid shove to Jokić’s back when Julius Randle lost his shit on Gordon twice in the span of around fifteen seconds. The rest was academic.

Afterward, Denver fans on X exulted, with many predicting a sweep of either the four-game or gentlemen’s variety. Such bravado is premature, but the fact that the Nuggets kept cool while the Wolves melted down certainly qualifies as a positive sign.

Continue to count down our picks for the twenty most memorable post-game takes.

Number 20:

Number 19:

Number 18:

Number 17:

Number 16:

Number 15:

Number 14:

Number 13:

Number 12:

Number 11:

Number 10:

Number 9:

Number 8:

Number 7:

Number 6:

Number 5:

Number 4:

Number 3:

Number 2:

Number 1: