Minnesota dominated the defending champions from start to finish.
After losing to Atlanta on Monday after blowing a 21-point lead in the second half, Minnesota (2-2) dominated the defending champion Denver Nuggets (4-1) Wednesday, winning 110-89.
The Timberwolves led 18-4 at halftime, 19 at that, 22 in the third quarter, and never let Denver get closer than 13 points. They extended the lead to 21 points with just over five minutes left after both teams pulled starters.
Denver players said last season’s 4-1 series win against Minnesota in the 2022-23 playoffs was their hardest hurdle on the way to winning the NBA championship.
Key Timberwolves stats:
Anthony Edwards: 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting
Karl-Anthony Towns: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Rudy Gobert: 4 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks
Mike Conley: 17 points, 7 assists
Jaden McDaniels: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Naz Reid: 16 points, 5 rebounds in 19 minutes
Nikola Jokic: 25 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers
Jamal Murray: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 5-of-16 shooting
Michael Porter Jr.: 5 points on 2-of-11 shooting
Minnesota lost 18 games last season when leading by double-digits, and Timberwolves analyst Jim Petersen replayed a data during the game showing that the Timberwolves had lost 28 games since 2021 when leading by at least 10 points in the second half.
Before facing Minnesota on Wednesday, Denver had only trailed for 4 minutes, 33 seconds in four strong wins.
First complete game of the season, Minnesota won easily. They failed to shoot in a close loss to Toronto in the season opener and played down to a depleted Miami club for three quarters before winning easily in the fourth. They played great in the first half against Atlanta before losing embarrassingly in the second.
Timberwolves may be creating a defensive identity. This season, Minnesota has held three of four opponents under 100 points, compared to four last season. Toronto scored 97, Miami 90, and Denver 89. The Atlanta 127-point debacle was the lone hiccup.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) shoots while Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) defends at Target Center in the first half on November 1, 2023.