The Denver Nuggets opened their Western Conference first-round playoff series with authority Saturday night, overcoming an early deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116–105 and take a 1–0 series lead behind a clutch performance from Jamal Murray.
Murray poured in 30 points and delivered one of the most efficient free-throw performances in recent playoff memory, finishing a perfect 16-for-16 at the line. Despite going 0-for-8 from 3-point range, Murray’s aggressiveness attacking the basket and ability to control the tempo proved decisive down the stretch.
One of the game’s defining sequences came late in the fourth quarter when Murray launched a desperation halfcourt attempt as the shot clock expired. The ball grazed the rim to reset the clock, leading to a momentum-swinging dunk by Aaron Gordon that extended Denver’s lead to 108–101 with 1:50 remaining.
The play symbolized Denver’s persistence in a gritty, physical opener.
Nikola Jokic delivered another postseason masterpiece, finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for a triple-double while anchoring Denver’s offense throughout the night.
The reigning star center even played through a bloody nose during an especially physical contest that featured 42 fouls and multiple technical infractions. Among them were an unsportsmanlike technical on Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels for pushing Jokic from behind and a technical foul assessed to Denver head coach David Adelman. Later, both Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon were also hit with technicals as tensions rose.
When Minnesota trimmed the deficit to just 97–95 with 6:23 remaining, Jokic responded with a key five-point burst that helped steady the Nuggets and reestablish control.
Denver’s resilience continues a remarkable stretch of momentum — the Nuggets have now won 13 straight games since March 18.
Anthony Edwards paced the Timberwolves with 22 points and seven assists while playing through a sore right knee. His playmaking effort carried historic significance as he became Minnesota’s franchise career postseason assists leader.
Donte DiVincenzo added perimeter support with four 3-pointers, helping keep Minnesota within striking distance during several stretches of the game.
The Timberwolves started strong and built an early 12-point lead, but their offense stalled during a decisive stretch in the third quarter when they went scoreless for more than four minutes. Denver capitalized with a 17–2 run that flipped the game and created separation.
Minnesota later mounted one final push to close within two points midway through the fourth quarter before Denver’s stars closed the door.
The matchup between these Northwest Division rivals has been tightly contested for several seasons. Since the start of the 2022–23 campaign, Denver now holds a narrow 15–14 edge over Minnesota in combined regular-season and playoff meetings. Each team has also won a postseason series against the other during that span, underscoring how evenly matched the clubs remain.
Aaron Gordon contributed 17 points for Denver despite battling early foul trouble, providing key interior scoring during critical moments.
With Game 1 setting a physical tone for the series, both teams are expected to make adjustments before Game 2 on Monday night as Minnesota looks to respond and Denver aims to extend its winning streak and tighten its grip on the series.
