Why Nuggets will vanquish Timberwolves in 5 games in 2026 NBA Playoffs

One of the best rivalries in the NBA will be center stage during the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Denver Nuggets will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three vs. six matchup. The two teams have had some epic battles against each other in recent years. They are 14-14 against head-to-head over the last four seasons. That includes a 4-1 postseason domination by the Nuggets in the first round of the 2023 playoffs en route to a championship run. The year after, though, the Timberwolves ended the Nuggets’ repeat hopes by beating them in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. That loss was one of the biggest postseason heartbreaks in Nuggets history.

These two teams respect each other. Nikola Jokic has spoken highly of Anthony Edwards’ game, and vice versa. There is clearly some bad blood, though. These two’s history, and the fact that this is a rivalry, would make most assume it will be a closely contested series. Don’t be surprised if the Nuggets win in five games, though.

The Timberwolves briefly had the Nuggets’ number, but that won’t last

There was a point in time when it looked like the Timberwolves were simply Denver’s kryptonite. After beating the Nuggets in the postseason, the Timberwolves went 4-0 in the regular season against Denver last year. However, this wasn’t a sign that the Nuggets are incapable against their rival.

It took a massive collapse for the Timberwolves to beat Denver in seven games in 2024. The Nuggets were beaten up but were still up by 20 points in the third quarter of Game 7, but they ended up giving up the largest Game 7 lead in postseason history. Rudy Gobert even had to hit a miraculous shot for this to happen.

Such a collapse was very uncharacteristic for the Nuggets, especially considering Jamal Murray and Jokic are all-time great postseason risers and among the clutchest players in the league. After a grueling season that succeeded a postseason run that lasted longer than anybody else, the Nuggets simply ran out of gas, and that shouldn’t happen again.

Jamal Murray is in the midst of his best season to date. Considering the first-time All-Star takes his game to new heights in the playoffs, there is no telling how special he can be this go around. Plus, three-time MVP, Jokic, always plays great against Rudy Gobert, despite the fact that the opposing center has won four Defensive Player of the Year trophies. While Jokic always puts up huge numbers, in 2024, the Timberwolves were able to slow him down a little bit by playing Gobert off of The Joker and using Karl-Anthony Towns as the primary defender on the Serbian big man. That strategy isn’t nearly as viable with Julius Randle playing power forward in Minnesota these days, though.

Murray and Jokic have a championship DNA. Not only is this the version of the Nuggets that is most likely to go on a deep run since they won the championship, but they’ve seemingly gotten their confidence back against the Timberwolves. They went 3-1 against the team this year, which included a 142-point explosion on Christmas Day. Jokic had a 56-point triple-double that game, which included an overtime record 18 points.

The Nuggets are better off than they’ve been since their championship

While the Nuggets’ offense runs through Murray and Jokic, it is the team’s additions that put the Nuggets in a great spot to end Minnesota early. The team gassed out in not just their playoff series against the Timberwolves in 2024, but against the Oklahoma City Thunder last year, too.

The Nuggets realized they had a problem and added tons of depth in the offseason. Cam Johnson is on the roster in place of Michael Porter Jr., and he has really found his footing in recent months. Tim Hardaway Jr. is knocking down shot after shot as a player in the running for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Bruce Brown was brought back, and he was on Denver’s championship team. Even Jonas Valanciunas provides Denver with a legitimate backup center option.

All of these players were added in the offseason, but the Nuggets have seen internal development, too. Spencer Jones went from two-way player to lockdown defender, and Peyton Watson has broken out in a big way this season on offense. The Nuggets don’t have to overexert their stars anymore, and the team’s newfound depth should help ensure they stay healthy. Last year, both Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon were playing through serious injuries, and they still took a Thunder team that would go on to win the championship to seven games.

The last two seasons have ended too prematurely for the Nuggets. This is the year that changes, and it starts with a five-game gentleman’s sweep of the Timberwolves in the first round, which is exactly what they did in 2023 before going on to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

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