The NBA postseason is finally here. After a long season, two Western Conference juggernauts are now set to face off for the third time in four years. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets will go head-to-head in the opening round.
Let’s take a look at how each team can win the series.
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How The Nuggets Can Win
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The Nuggets enter this series as a decisive betting favorite, and for good reason. At 52-28, Denver comes in as the third seed while on a perfectly-timed hot streak. They can win this series by capitalizing on their elavated defense over the last couple of weeks.
Denver’s offense has been elite for years. The unprecedented brilliance of Nikola Jokic makes them an offensive powerhouse every season, but their defense has been on another level as of late. The Nuggets must keep this up to stop Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.
With Jokic on the floor, rim protection will almost always be one of their weak points. Against a team like the Timberwolves, the pressure will be on Denver’s perimeter defenders to keep Edwards and company outside of the paint.
On offense, Jokic and Jamal Murray must be at their best. Jokic dropped a 56-point triple-double against Minnesota on Christmas and while Denver won’t need that type of performance every game, they’ll need him in peak playoff form. Murray also had his way on offense against Minnesota this season, a good sign for the Nuggets.
If the Nuggets can maintain their offensive rhythm while managing to play their best defense of the year, they’ll advance to the second round.
How The Timberwolves Can Win
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The Timberwolves come into the matchup as the betting underdogs, but Edwards has proven time and time again that he could care less about betting odds. He’s infamous for elevating his play during the postseason, especially when it comes to scoring.
He would love nothing more than to take advantage of the previously-mentioned rim protection problems that the Nuggets have. With the series looming, Edwards spoke to reporters on Wednesday about the blooming rivalry.
“I don’t think there’s anything else to call it but a rivalry,” Edwards said. “I think there’s a lot of rivalries now and I think me and Denver is one of them.”
His ability to lead the offense is a huge factor for the Timberwolves, as is rebounding. Jokic may not be an elite rim protector, but he has a knack for bringing in rebounds. Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle will need to be ready for a physical battle on the glass. The Timberwolves haven’t been a great rebounding team, which is what makes it so vital is they want to take down the Nuggets.
In terms of defense, Minnesota has a huge advantage. Gobert and Jaden McDaniels alone are better defenders than anyone on the Nuggets roster. Their tough defense colliding with a high-powered Denver offense will be a sight to behold.
In their first postseason battle, the Nuggets eliminated the T-Wolves in five games back in 2023, but Minnesota enacted revenge with a Game 7 victory over Denver in the 2024 semifinals.
As they line up for a third showdown, it’s very possible that the series becomes a seven-game bloodbath.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
