Nuggets-Timberwolves series is a war of attrition — and both teams are losing the battle
Nuggets-Timberwolves series is a war of attrition — and both teams are losing the battle
Ben RohrbachSun, April 26, 2026 at 5:07 PM UTC
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Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets, one of few legitimate title contenders, are on the brink of elimination in the first round of these playoffs.
They trail the Minnesota Timberwolves, another championship contender, 3-1 in a best-of-seven set. Except, the Wolves lost both Anthony Edwards (left knee) and Donte DiVincenzo (right Achilles) to injury over the course of Saturday’s 112-96 win.
Which begs the question: Do either of these teams have what it takes to win a title?
Either team would have to, most likely, march through the San Antonio Spurs in the second round and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals, just for the opportunity to compete in the NBA Finals for a title. It is no easy road to hoe.
What is required for the Nuggets? Beating these Wolves three times in a row, which is possible, especially in the absence of Edwards. He is expected to miss multiple weeks after hyperextending his left knee in the third quarter of Saturday’s victory. Denver hosts Games 5 and 7. It will necessitate wins in both and a single road win over the depleted Wolves. Denver will be favored in each of the remaining matchups.
But the Nuggets’ defense, which rated 21st in the regular season, allowing 116 points per 100 possessions, did not look title-worthy all season. It was better, operating at a top-10 level, when Aaron Gordon was on the court. He was supposed to propel their playoff success, but Gordon is battling a calf injury that kept him out of Game 3 of this series.
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What Jaden McDaniels said — that “they’re all bad defenders” in Denver — may not be entirely true, but with a hobbled Gordon there are plenty of places for Minnesota to attack. Timberwolves reserve Ayo Dosunmu worked them for 43 points in Game 4, but it is hard to imagine that happening again. It will be an uphill battle sans Edwards.
The Wolves did outscore opponents by 4.5 points per 100 possessions with Edwards off the floor during the regular season. Likewise, without Edwards and DiVincenzo, they outscored opponents by 3 points per 100 meaningful possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass. But there is a difference between doing that in the regular season and doing it against these Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
Similarly, though, Minnesota is uniquely equipped to defend Denver, which boasted the NBA’s top offense in the regular season (121.2 points per 100 possessions). The Wolves feature four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who has done an admirable job on Jokic. And they can roll out waves of wings at Jamal Murray, though their arsenal on that end is depleted by the absences of Edwards and DiVincenzo.
Minnesota can absolutely win one more game in this series, even without Edwards, and then what? Presumably, they would face the Spurs, who are sure to welcome Victor Wembanyama back soon from a concussion to a series they currently lead, 2-1.
Facing San Antonio’s defense, without Edwards for at least the first few games of a second-round series, seems like an impossible task for a Minnesota offense that didn’t exactly light the world on fire on that end in the regular season, rating 13th.
Likewise, if the Nuggets can storm back from a 3-1 deficit to win this series in Game 7, what hope would they have of beating Wembanyama’s Spurs — with a hobbled Gordon, a shaky defense and an offense that increasingly appears stoppable?
These playoffs may be a war of attrition, and both these teams are losing the battle.
Source: “AOL Sports”
