The Denver Nuggets are still struggling to find a solution to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Following their defeat in last year’s seven-game Western Conference semifinals, Denver has now lost two regular-season games to Minnesota.
Most recently, the Nuggets suffered a crushing 133-104 loss to the Timberwolves, with Anthony Edwards leading the charge by scoring 34 points and making history as Minnesota’s franchise leader in 3-pointers with 976 career triples, including a highlight-reel shot from the center-court logo.
Julius Randle contributed 20 points and Rudy Gobert added 14 points and 14 rebounds to help the Timberwolves secure their 24-21 record as the No. 8 seed in the West.
Nikola Jokić’s streak of consecutive triple-doubles came to an end at five, as he scored 20 points and 11 assists but struggled on the boards and committed seven turnovers in the matchup against Gobert.
Denver’s offense was led by Jamal Murray’s 25 points, while Russell Westbrook and Aaron Gordon each added 13 points. Despite the effort, the Nuggets fell to 28-17 and now sit 1 1/2 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference.
In a disappointing flashback to last year’s playoffs, the Nuggets lost to the Timberwolves in the second round after blowing a series lead. The previous matchup between the two teams this season also ended in favor of Minnesota, with Edwards hitting the game-winning shot.
Next up, the Nuggets will face the Chicago Bulls on Monday as part of their ongoing road trip, while the Timberwolves will host the Atlanta Hawks on the same day.