The Denver Nuggets fought and fought and fought but just fell short.
Denver lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 106-99, in Game 1 of the second-round series. This was Denver's first home loss in a postseason since Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals. The Nuggets have not trailed in a playoff series since 2022.
"They're a very talented team," said head coach Michael Malone. "There's a reason they were in first place the large majority of the season. Give them credit, they came in here and took Game 1. So, there's a lot we can clean up and get better at, and we're going to have to so we can try to tie this series up going back to Minnesota."
Nikola Jokić led the charge with 32 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals.
"I'm satisfied with the shots that I took. Some of them I missed, some of them I made," said Jokić. "They're a really good defensive team."
Michael Porter Jr. was Denver's second-leading scorer with 20 points to go with 6 rebounds, 1 block, and 3 steals.
Anthony Edwards paced the Timberwolves with 43 points on 17-of-29 shooting and 3-of-7 from deep. He also had 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal.
"He’s a special player. I have a huge respect for him. He can do everything on the floor. You need to enjoy and respect your opponent with just how good and how talented he is," Jokić said about Edwards.
Things did not start out well for the defending champions as the Wolves mounted an early 18-4 lead. But then, the Nuggets turned things around and went on a 27-9 run to dig themselves out of the hole. Denver closed the half with two of their signature plays—the Jamal Murray, Jokić, and Aaron Gordon three-man game and the Jokić and Murray pick-and-roll—to head into the break with a 44-40 lead.
Karl-Anthony Towns came out of the break with force and went 5-of-5 from the field on a number of tough runners. Still, the Nuggets battled and entered the fourth quarter down just 73-71. Naz Reid broke out in the fourth and scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shots, but some huge buckets from Jokić kept Denver in it. However, Edwards took over in the clutch and hit several tough shots over Denver's perimeter defense to take an 11-point lead. That lead was insurmountable.