The Denver Nuggets suffered a tough defeat on Wednesday night, falling 115-95 to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Despite a strong individual performance from Nikola Jokić, Denver struggled to keep pace, marking their third consecutive loss to Minnesota this season.
Jokić delivered an impressive stat line with 34 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and one steal while shooting 13/23 from the field. However, his efforts were not enough to overcome the Timberwolves’ dominance. After the game, the two-time MVP expressed his frustration with the team’s struggles against Minnesota.
“I want to win every game, so if I lose, I don’t think any loss is really easy for the stomach,” Jokić told reporters, via DNVR Nuggets. “When someone beats you so many times in a row, it’s something that you need to figure out. You need to think about it.”
The loss dropped Denver to a 42-24 record through 66 games, placing them third in the Western Conference standings. Over their last ten games, the Nuggets have gone 5-5, raising concerns about their consistency as the playoffs approach.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards once again proved to be a problem for the Nuggets. The star guard finished the game with 29 points, six assists, and five three-pointers. He has averaged 30.6 points per game against Denver this season, further solidifying the Timberwolves’ dominance in the matchup.
The Nuggets will have one more opportunity to figure things out against Minnesota before the playoffs, with their final regular-season meeting scheduled for April 1 in Denver. With the Timberwolves emerging as a potential playoff threat, the Nuggets may need to adjust their strategy if they hope to avoid a similar fate in the postseason.
Next, Denver will remain at home to take on Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, looking to rebound from the disappointing loss. Meanwhile, discussions continue among analysts and fans regarding the Nuggets’ potential playoff matchups. Mile High Sports’ Ryan Blackburn noted that if given the choice, Denver would likely prefer to face the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Timberwolves in the postseason.
Jokić, now in his 10th NBA season, remains the heart of the Nuggets, but as the playoffs approach, the team will need to solve their Timberwolves problem if they want to defend their NBA title successfully.