Minnesota Timberwolves face elimination by Denver Nuggets in round 2 of NBA playoffs: What you need to know
MINNEAPOLIS — After starting the playoffs with their first series win in 20 years and six straight victories, the Minnesota Timberwolves are now one game from elimination at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.
The No. 3 Wolves needed just four games to knock out the No. 6 Phoenix Suns in round one, while the No. 2 Nuggets beat the No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers in five.
Here's everything you need to know about the round two matchup between the Timberwolves and Nuggets.
When do the Timberwolves play next? Round two full schedule.
The semifinals series kicks off on Saturday in Denver. The full schedule is below. All times Central Time Zone.
- Game 1: Timberwolves at Nuggets; Saturday, May 4 - 6 p.m.
- Game 2: Timberwolves at Nuggets; Monday, May 6 - 9 p.m.
- Game 3: Nuggets at Timberwolves; Friday, May 10 - 8:30 p.m.
- Game 4: Nuggets at Timberwolves; Sunday, May 12 - 7 p.m.
- Game 5: Timberwolves at Nuggets; Tuesday, May 14 - 9:30 p.m.
- Game 6: Nuggets at Timberwolves; Thursday, May 16 - 7:30 p.m.
- Game 7 (if necessary): Timberwolves at Nuggets; Sunday, May 19 - TBD
What's the series record?
The Nuggets lead the series 3-2 and have the Wolves on the brink of extinction.
The Timberwolves took game one in Denver. Anthony Edwards scored 43, Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 and Naz Reid scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to give the Wolves a 106-99 win. Nikola Jokic had 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for Denver, but also had seven turnovers. Jamal Murray scored 17 points after being held scoreless in the first half.
The Wolves dominated game two, winning 106-80, even without center Rudy Gobert. Towns and Edwards each scored 27. The Wolves' defense had the Nuggets so flustered that Murray was throwing things onto the court and head coach Michael Malone stormed onto the court to scream at the officials.
The Nuggets dominated games three and four in Minnesota to tie the series, then Jokic erupted in game five in Denver to give the Nuggets a 112-97 win. Jokic quashed any questions about the worthiness of his third MVP award with a 40-point, 13-assist performance.
How did the Wolves do against the Nuggets in the regular season?
The Wolves split the season series 2-2 with the Nuggets, with both wins coming by double digits. The Wolves also held the Nuggets under 100 points in both wins. A late-season loss, though, hurt Minnesota's playoff seeding.
Jokic averaged 33.3 points across the four games, while Edwards averaged 26 points. Overall, Minnesota averaged 110 points a game against Denver, while the Nuggets averaged 104.5.
Who are the Nuggets' best players?
Jokic has a case for the title of best player in the world. He won back-to-back MVP awards in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, and could earn a third this season. He's also been to six straight All-Star games. During the regular season, he averaged 26.4 points, 9.0 assists and 12.4 rebounds a game. He was even better in the first round of the playoffs, averaging 28.2 points, 9.8 assists and 16.2 rebounds across five games.
Murray, despite missing significant time, had one of the best statistical seasons of his career, averaging 21.2 points and 6.5 assists a game while shooting 48% from the field and 42.5% from three.
How did the Wolves look in the first round?
The Wolves' defense, particularly in the second half of games, was suffocating against the Suns. They looked ferocious on the glass on both ends and dominated nearly every time the Suns' starters sat. Three of the Wolves' four wins over the Suns were by double digits. Minnesota held Phoenix under 100 points in two of the four games.
Edwards averaged 31 points against the Suns, along with 6.3 assists and 8.0 rebounds. He shot 51% from the field and nearly 44% from three. Towns added 19.3 points a night, along with 9.5 rebounds. Gobert's 15 points and 11 assists a game were huge factors in the sweep, along with his 88% free-throw shooting — well above his career average of 64%.
The Wolves' bench was indispensable, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker averaging double-digit points and Reid nearly hitting that mark, too.
Is Wolves head coach Chris Finch OK?
Finch ruptured his patellar tendon in a collision with guard Mike Conley in game four against the Suns. He left the game with under two minutes left. Assistant coach Micah Nori led the rest of the game.
Finch was on the bench for games one and two, but Nori still handled most of the in-game duties.
Are Timberwolves tickets still available?
Tickets for the Wolves' home games in round two are now available on the team's website.
Naz Reid?
That's NBA Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid now.
Note: The video above originally aired April 24, 2024.
