The Denver Nuggets opened their first-round series by doing what experienced contenders often do best: surviving the shaky beginning, then imposing themselves once the game settled into playoff rhythm.
Denver beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 on Saturday at Ball Arena, taking a 1-0 series lead behind Nikola Jokić’s triple-double and a forceful scoring night from Jamal Murray. Jokić finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, while Murray led all scorers with 30 points.
Minnesota actually landed the first blow. The Timberwolves built an early 12-point lead and looked sharper at the outset, with their defense disrupting Denver’s flow and their energy giving the opener a tense edge. But the Nuggets gradually erased that margin, pulled even by halftime, and then took over the game through the second half with the kind of control that comes from having the best player on the floor and a home crowd behind him.
Murray’s night was especially important because it gave Denver a second line of authority next to Jokić. He went a perfect 16-for-16 from the free-throw line, a career high, and helped define one of the game’s clearest statistical gaps: Denver outscored Minnesota 30-14 at the stripe while shooting 90.9% on free throws. Aaron Gordon added 17 points, and Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson each scored 12 as the Nuggets found enough balance to punish Minnesota once the game slowed down.
The Timberwolves had their chances to make the ending uncomfortable. Anthony Edwards, back after a recent knee issue, scored 22 points, and Minnesota made a late push that briefly cut the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter. But the Wolves never found enough sustained offense to finish the comeback. Edwards shot 7-for-19, and Denver responded to the pressure with timely execution, including a late sequence that ended with an Aaron Gordon dunk and helped restore control.
That was the truest shape of Game 1: competitive, physical and close enough to matter, until Denver reminded Minnesota how narrow the margin can be against a team this seasoned. The Timberwolves proved they can make the series uncomfortable. The Nuggets proved they still know how to take it back. With Game 2 coming Monday night in Denver, the opener offered an early answer to the biggest question of the matchup. However jagged the start may look, the Nuggets still trust their formula when the game begins to tighten.
