The Timberwolves pursuit of the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference took another major step in the right direction Sunday in Denver.
Minnesota downed the Nuggets 117-108 for its third straight victory, and sixth in its last seven contests.
Naz Reid (11) of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts to making a shot against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves’ 117-108 win at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
As has been the case for all of those victories, the Nuggets were down two of their top six players in the nationally-televised matinee, as both Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson remained out with injuries.
That proved pivotal, specifically relating to the damage those absences do to Denver’s bench — which is where the Wolves won the game.
Minnesota got off to a sluggish start and trailed by nine after one. But the Nuggets opened the second frame without Nikola Jokic nor Jamal Murray. The Wolves responded by scoring the first nine points of the quarter, forcing Denver coach David Adelman to sub Murray back into the game.
But by then, momentum already belonged to Minnesota (38-23), who received a 15-point first half from Bones Hyland. The likes of Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle rode the wave upon their re-entry, and the Wolves led by eight at the break.
Jonas Valančiūnas, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown were Denver’s top three reserves on Sunday. Minnesota won their minutes by 15, 17 and 12 points, respectively.
On the flip side, Minnesota won Jaden McDaniels’ minutes by 20 points. He was excellent on both ends, limiting Murray’s effectiveness for the first three quarters while going 9 for 12 from the field for 20 points offensively.
Rudy Gobert had 15 rebounds and three steals while Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle combined for 13 assists.
Rudy Gobert (27) of the Minnesota Timberwolves runs down the ball as Julian Strawther (3) and Cameron Johnson (23) of the Denver Nuggets watch during the third quarter at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Jokic had 35 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists as Denver won his 37 minutes by four points, but the Nuggets (37-24) struggled to find any production outside of their top two players. Denver went 6 for 22 from 3-point range.
All eight of Minnesota’s players who saw time Sunday finished with at least seven points on a day where it shot 54% from the floor and 39% from deep.
Naz Reid was slightly inconsistent, but he had a couple buckets in transition in the fourth quarter to help maintain necessary cushion. Donte DiVincenzo was excellent, tallying 17 points on the strength of five triples to go with five dimes.
Denver shot 56% from the field in the fourth quarter Sunday, but turned the ball over seven times, including a Murray giveaway with the Wolves leading by seven in the final three minutes that effectively put the game on ice.
The Wolves turned 14 Nuggets turnovers into 22 points on the day. In total, Minnesota tallied a gaudy 30 fast-break points.
The win moves Minnesota a game clear of Denver in the West standings, critical given the Nuggets hold the season-long tiebreaker. The Wolves and Rockets are now tied for the No. 3 seed in the conference.
Minnesota next hosts Memphis on Tuesday. It’s possible expected signee Kyle Anderson will be available for that game. It’s worth noting ahead of his arrival that Terrence Shannon Jr. nor Jaylen Clark saw minutes off the bench Sunday.
Related Articles
Can Kyle Anderson be the antidote for what ails these Timberwolves?
Timberwolves grit out win at Clippers
Timberwolves edge Trail Blazers in Portland
Frederick: Is ‘Good’ the Timberwolves’ ceiling this season? They have two months to prove otherwise
Timberwolves hammered by visiting 76ers
Leave a Reply