The Denver Nuggets continue to struggle against the Minnesota Timberwolves, unable to secure a win since their 2024 Western Conference Semifinals showdown. That series saw Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves rally from a 3-2 deficit to eliminate the Nuggets. In their latest matchup, Minnesota dominated Denver with a decisive 115-95 victory, leaving Nikola Jokic visibly frustrated and determined to address the team’s ongoing woes.
Since that 2024 playoff series, the Timberwolves have clearly had the upper hand over the Nuggets. Minnesota has won seven of their last ten meetings, including the last three in a row.
Despite putting up impressive numbers this season, Jokic had a tough night by his standards, although he still led his team. The Serbian superstar scored 34 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out four assists. Unfortunately for Denver, the rest of the roster failed to step up, leaving Jokic’s effort insufficient to halt their losing streak against Minnesota.
After the game, Jokic spoke candidly about the team’s struggles against the Timberwolves, offering both critique and motivation for his teammates. “We need to do a better job. I don’t know what, but it seems we are not playing good against them, or maybe they don’t let us play good against them,” Jokic said during his postgame press conference.
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets dunks during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
“I want to win every game, so if I lose, I don’t think any loss is really easy to stomach,” he added. “When someone beats you so many times in a row, it’s something you need to figure out, you need to think about it”.
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What the Nuggets need to do to stop the Timberwolves
The Timberwolves appear to have cracked the code to beating the Nuggets, as recent results have shown. While their first meeting this season was a close three-point victory, the next two were blowouts, with Minnesota winning by 29 and 20 points, respectively.
During the press conference, Jokic was asked what Denver could do to limit Minnesota’s dominance. “Probably limit them to one shot,” he explained. “You know, you cannot give them a lot of opportunities because they’re really talented offensively”.
Anthony Edwards on learning from Doncic to beat the Nuggets
As one of the NBA‘s stars, Anthony Edwards regularly faces double teams from opposing defenses. The Timberwolves leader revealed that studying Luka Doncic has been instrumental in adapting to those challenges and improving his game against teams like the Nuggets.
“Just the little reads, man, and watching how other players that get doubled, watch how they attack it and how they try to manipulate it, especially Luka,” Edwards admitted. “I watch a lot of Luka, seeing how he attacks the double team. Even though we play at different paces, just seeing his strategy to beat the double team, I think that helps me a lot”.
