Timberwolves vs Nuggets Game Analysis: Containing Jokić
April 18, 2026, marks the start of the playoff series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets. The Wolves are the No. 6 seed (49-33 record), while the Nuggets are the No. 3 seed (54-28 record).
Nikola Jokić will be the best player on the floor with Denver’s league-leading offense. He averaged 27.7 points and 12.9 rebounds all season, but in the four games against the Wolves, he averaged 35.8 points and 15 rebounds.
The Timberwolves’ secret weapon is Rudy Gobert. When he’s on the floor, the Wolves allow only 108.6 points per 100 possessions, compared to Denver’s regular 127.8 per 100. Continue exploring our Timberwolves vs Nuggets prediction at PayPerHead to see which team has more advantage in this game.
Minnesota Timberwolves Recent Scores: Unremarkable
The Timberwolves finished the regular season winning 5 of their last 10 games. They rested almost all of their regulars for the playoffs in the 132-126 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, to end the season.
They also won their second-last game, ending the Houston Rockets’ 8-game winning streak with a 136-132 victory. Anthony Edwards had 22 points, with a key 3-pointer late in the game.
Denver Nuggets Recent Scores: Impressive Season End
The Nuggets ended the regular season with a 12-game win streak, which helped them pass the Lakers and Rockets (and even the Wolves) to lock in the No. 3 seed in the West. And it wasn’t easy. Their last two games were against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.
With the Thunder having clinched the Conference, they played their reserves, as did the Nuggets. But against the Spurs, Jokić scored 23 points in the first half of his 65th game to become NBA award eligible.
Plan accordingly 👇
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 15, 2026
Get your tickets: https://t.co/wnBCtB2Ark pic.twitter.com/rU9DgZxTpE
Minnesota vs Denver History: Entertaining Rivalry
The Nuggets dominated their meetings this season, winning 3 of 4 games:
- Oct 27, 2025: Nuggets 127-114 Wolves
- Nov 15, 2025: Nuggets 123-112 Wolves
- Dec 25, 2025: Nuggets 142-138 Wolves (OT)
- Mar 1: Wolves 117-108 Nuggets
The Christmas classic was a high-scoring overtime win for the Nuggets, with Jokić adding 56 points. The Wolves’ lone win was the most recent, which gives them some confidence coming into this series. But can they keep it going if it goes to seven games?
These teams also met in the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals, which is a story in itself. The Wolves were up 2-0 in Denver against the defending champions. The Nuggets came back to tie it, then took a 3-2 series lead before the Wolves destroyed the Nuggets 115-70 in Game 6. The Wolves then mounted a 20-point second-half comeback in Game 7 to win 98-90.
Can we hope for another dramatic series this time around?
Timberwolves vs Nuggets Prediction
Injury management is a critical part of any playoff run. Both teams have a number of players questionable for this series.
- Nuggets: Jamal Murray is day-to-day (shoulder), as is Christian Braun (ankle). Payton Watson is out (hamstring)
- Timberwolves: Jaden McDaniels is day-to-day (hip), as is Julius Randle (hand), Naz Reid (shoulder) and others.
As expected, the Total is a strapping 231.5 points. However, since it is the first game, the teams will be cautious, feeling each other out instead of playing all-out offense.
The Nuggets have a comfortable -5.5 to -6 point spread as they are favored to win this first game at home. Our Timberwolves vs Nuggets prediction is a conservative 115-110 for Denver.
