Nuggets to host Timberwolves Wednesday for first time since 2024 playoffs
Mar 12, 2025, 12:14 PM
It has been 297 days since the Minnesota Timberwolves have stepped foot in Ball Arena and dashed the Nuggets’ dreams of repeating as NBA Champions.
It has been 297 days since the Denver Nuggets blew a 20-point lead on their home floor in Game 7 of a playoff series.
It has been 297 days since Rudy Gobert hit a Dirk Nowitzki-esque fadeaway that sucked the life out of Nuggets fans.
The Denver Nuggets have their first chance to get revenge against Minnesota on the same floor the season ended on last year. The first two games of the season series have been played in Minnesota this year, both of which the Nuggets lost.
Both teams were fully healthy in the prior two games. The Nuggets’ bench was the culprit for the first loss, while the starting lineup got blown out in the second loss. Coming into tonight, the Nuggets will likely be without Aaron Gordon as he nurses another calf injury, while Rudy Gobert is questionable with a back injury for Minnesota.
One big difference for Denver will be the lineup composition. Neither Zeke Nnaji or Jalen Pickett played any non-garbage time minutes in the first two matchups. With how the Nuggets’ season has shaken up to be, both of them are key elements of head coach Michael Malone’s rotation, and are currently playing a solid stretch of basketball.
Those two have shown to be key defensive components for Denver in recent weeks and will help a Denver team who has let Minnesota score 126 points per game in the two prior matchups. Defense is why the Timberwolves won the playoff series in 2024 (Denver scored 97.6 PPG in seven games) and also why the Nuggets won the playoff series in 2023 (Minnesota scored 105.4 PPG in five games).
Tonight’s game isn’t just important because of the rivalry, it’s a pivotal game seeding-wise in the Western Conference. The Nuggets have a one game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 2 seed, while the Timberwolves are a half game back of the Golden State Warriors and the No. 6 seed. They will be hungry the rest of the way as they try to avoid being in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament for the third time in four years.
Last season, Minnesota won four of the six games the two teams played at Ball Arena, including three in the playoffs alone. They have had the Nuggets’ number and possess a high level of confidence whenever they step foot in the arena.
Tonight is a great chance for the Nuggets, who made a loud statement Monday in Oklahoma City, to make another statement on national TV and show that they still have what it takes to win a championship and that they’re still one of the top dogs in the West.
This battle has turned into one of the best rivalries in the Western Conference, and Wednesday will be another chapter in a long saga of matchups between the two teams.
The Nuggets are currently favored by 3.5 points (ESPN Bet) for tonight’s matchup on ESPN, which tips off at 8:00 p.m. from Ball Arena.
