The Denver Nuggets didn't get the memo that they were supposed to do everything in their power to avoid the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. They didn't purposefully lose to the Thunder or Spurs in their final two games of the regular season to fall to No. 4, which would've set them up for a matchup against the Rockets. Apparently, they wanted Minnesota.
I'm not here to overreact to the first of what could be a six or seven-game series, but watching Denver secure the 116-105 Game 1 win over the team that has had its number the past couple of seasons was quite refreshing. Strangely, what made it even better was knowing it wasn't their best game, and they still won.
The Nuggets kept the momentum they built by winning 12 straight games to end the regular season and carried it into the playoffs.
Jamal Murray led the way with 30 points, and Nikola Jokić had 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in what was an average outing for him. Aaron Gordon was a monster. Cam Johnson was the impact player they traded for. Christian Braun guarded Anthony Edwards and hit a couple of big three-pointers to go with eight rebounds.
It certainly won't be easy, but this is a team that can make it past Minnesota, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City on the way to the NBA Finals.
Nuggets' playoff path is daunting, but they (apparently) don't care
Denver's front office retooled the roster over the offseason, trading Michael Porter Jr. for Cam, and creating financial flexibility to sign players like Bruce Brown, for the purpose of making another championship run. Nikola Jokić is still the best player in the world, but he isn't getting younger.
If you told Nuggets fans before the start of the year which teams Denver would have to take down to get to where it was in 2023, odds are your confidence wouldn't have been all that high. Now, you probably still wish they'd have taken the preferred route, but you should feel a lot better than you did.
Getting past Minnesota in the first round, especially after how 2024 ended, might be enough to make Denver unstoppable. That's how much of a thorn the Timberwolves have been in the Nuggets' side.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? For Denver, that could prove to be true, but we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. Anthony Edwards still exists, and he's going to do what he can to snatch the Nuggets' momentum in Game 2. The Timberwolves aren't going anywhere, at least not yet.
For now, though, let's enjoy Saturday's win. What's standing in front of Denver is daunting, but you know, the Nuggets just so happen to be a force themselves.
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