The Nuggets and Timberwolves do not like each other. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Fans yearn for the olden days of the 1980s and 1990s, when there were bitter rivalries with real dislike between players and teams. Battles like the Celtics and Lakers, Pistons and Bulls, and later the Knicks and Pacers, fueled interest in the league and built passionate fanbases.
The era of player movement and parity has taken this away to an extent, with much more roster turnover and fewer long-established cores. It’s hard to build true rivalries when the casts of characters are changing on a yearly basis, and many of the players seem to be friends from past experiences.
But in the past few years, there has been somewhat of a resurgence when it comes to healthy sports hatred in the NBA, and the Nuggets and Timberwolves have been right at the forefront. Tim Connelly leaving Denver to build a rival in Minnesota stoked the flames, and multiple playoff series in the past few seasons have only heightened things.
At this point, these teams are playing four marquee regular-season matchups a year, with what feels like an almost 50-50 chance of squaring off in the playoffs. Players like Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and others have been facing off for multiple years and dozens of heated matchups. It makes sense that some resentment has developed.
Emotions boil over in overtime
The Christmas night meeting delivered on the intensity that fans were hoping for. Both sides brought physicality and aggressiveness from the get-go, with plenty of gamesmanship going each way. Edwards appeared intent on trying to mess with Jokic and get in his head, which ultimately led to an ejection in the final minute of overtime.
Edwards was pushing the limit all night, getting in Jokic’s space during dead balls, and seeming to mess with him during free-throw attempts. The final straw was a quick strip attempt by Ant before Jokic had even inbounded the ball after a made basket. Edwards received his second technical foul and headed for the exits.
But not before gesturing at the refs and calling them out. This game featured over 60 free throw attempts, so there were always going to be some questionable calls. While the game should never be about the refs, it’s a good sign of the chippiness and testiness between the teams.
Things were incredibly heated, especially for a regular-season game, and that’s the result of a rivalry that has been building for half a decade. It’s good for both teams, and it’s good for the league. The Nuggets got the best of them this time, but not by much. They’ll meet again on March 1st, and all NBA fans should have that one circled on the calendar.