Timberwolves head coach Christ Finch had said earlier in the week that they had planned to "fight" Nikola Jokic every time down the floor. They wanted to make it a physical matchup, and there were hints that the Timberwolves were going to try to take away the pass from Jokic, too. The Nuggets did everything right to force the game plan in their own direction and keep Jokic from getting roughed up, mostly, for one more game.
The Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 in the opening game of the 2025-26 playoffs, and they got Jokic'd like everyone else seems to these days, giving up a 25-13-11 triple-double to the Serbian big man.
Jokic needs one more triple-double to tie Russell Westbrook for first on the all-time list for most triple-doubles in the regular season and playoffs combined.
The Timberwolves never got physical against Jokic
Timberwolves head coach Finch had said he wanted a physical matchup to slow down Jokic. The only physical play Jokic really saw was when Jaden McDaniels inexplicably pushed him in the back under the hoop. It triggered Aaron Gordon to come to Jokic's aid, and the Timberwolves didn't seem to want any of the smoke they created.
For the most part, Jokic spent a good deal of time out on the perimeter, and he only attempted one of the Nuggets' 33 free throws. The Wolves couldn't get the pressure they desired on Jokic, and he picked them apart for 11 assists. He would have had more assists had they counted all the free throws Jamal Murray made.
Murray was 16-16 from the charity stripe, and he kept driving and attacking and drawing contact. He was clearly the aggressor, as were the Nuggets. Murray finished with 30 points, and he shockingly went 0-8 from three.
The Nuggets shot poorly and still won
The Nuggets led the league in three-point shooting this season, shooting 39.5%, giving them an advantage over the Timberwolves in the series. But they shot just 27.8% in Game 1, which was uncharacteristically low.
It wasn't from pressure from the Timberwolves, either. They just missed some open shots. That should worry Timberwolves fans and make Nuggets fans super happy. The Nuggets won a game by 11, in which they shot worse than their opponent.
It was the Nuggets' 13th straight win dating back to the regular season. They've been on fire, and the fire continued through Game 1. As long as they can keep the Timberwolves out of their game plans and stick to their own plan, the Nuggets are in a great position to get past the Timberwolves.
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