Timberwolves take on Nuggets in 1st round of NBA playoffs. Here's what you need to know.
For the third time in four years, the Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Denver Nuggets in the NBA playoffs.
The two teams avoided each other last postseason, with the Oklahoma City Thunder knocking out the Nuggets on their way to the Western Conference finals. The Thunder then took out the Wolves in five games.
Here's everything you need to know about the first round matchup between the Wolves and Nuggets.
Who's the home team?
The Denver Nuggets earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, finishing with a 54-28 record, so they'll have homecourt advantage for the first two games. If the series goes all the way to seven, they'll have the extra home game.
The Wolves finished with a 49-33 record and got the No. 6 seed.
What's the schedule?
The full schedule for the first round hasn't been released yet, but here's what we know:
- Game 1: Timberwolves at Nuggets, Saturday, April 18, 2:30 CT
- Game 2: Timberwolves at Nuggets, TBD
- Game 3: Nuggets at Timberwolves, TBD
- Game 4: Nuggets at Timberwolves, TBD
- Game 5 (if needed): Timberwolves at Nuggets, TBD
- Game 6 (if needed): Nuggets at Timberwolves, TBD
- Game 7 (if needed): Timberwolves at Nuggets, TBD
How did the previous playoff matchups go?
In 2023, the Nuggets washed the Wolves out in five games. Minnesota's only win came in overtime in Game 4.
The next year, the Wolves stole the first two games on the road, then lost three straight. They blew out the Nuggets in Game 6 to force a deciding tilt, then completed the biggest Game 7 comeback in NBA history to win the series.
What happened when the Wolves played the Nuggets this season?
Minnesota and Denver met four times in the regular season. The Nuggets won the first three matchups — two of them by double digits — and the Wolves took the last game, 117-108.
How do the teams match up?
The Nuggets boasted the best offensive rating in the league this season (122.6). Their top two scorers, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, averaged 27.7 and 25.4 points a night, respectively. Both were named All-Stars.
The Nuggets were near the bottom of the league, ranking 21st in defensive rating (117.4).
The Wolves were a more balanced team, ranking 12th in offensive rating and 8th in defensive rating. Their offense was inconsistent throughout the regular season, though superstar Anthony Edwards is known for finding another gear come playoff time. They'll need him to if they want to keep up with Jokic and the Nuggets.
