MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS. DENVER NUGGETS PREVIEW — MARCH 29, 2024 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Total Apex Sports. One of the games on tap from tonight’s slate features the Minnesota Timberwolves (50-22 SU, 37-34-1 ATS) taking on the Denver Nuggets (51-22 SU, 33-38-2 ATS).
Here is a look at how both squads are performing coming into this matchup.
Tipoff
When: Friday, March 29, 2024 @ 9:00 PM ET
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
TV: ALT and BSN
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets – Regular Season Stats & Trends
Can The Timberwolves Top-Ranked “D” Keep The Defending Champs In Check?
Minnesota Timberwolves Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 113.1 PPG – 18TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 115.7 points per 100 possessions – 17TH
- Scoring Defense: 106.3 PPG – 1ST
- Defensive Efficiency: 108.8 points per 100 possessions – 1ST
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the second-best record in the Western Conference, and they trail the top-seeded Denver Nuggets by just a half-game in the standings. Not only that, but Minnesota has also produced seven wins in its last 10 contests.
This includes recent wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers (104-91), Golden State Warriors (114-110) and the Detroit Pistons (106-91). In the 15-point win against Detroit, Naz Reid paced the team’s offense with 21 points, 10 boards, and four dimes.
Jaden McDaniels added 20 points and four rebounds on 8-for-14 shooting from the floor. Rudy Gobert finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds, while Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards scored nine points each.
Minnesota held the Pistons to just 38.3 percent shooting from the floor and 28.1 percent from 3-point range. And the Timberwolves are now 40-4 on the season when they hold their opponents to under 110 points.
Nuggets Looking For Their Second Win Against Minnesota Over The Past Week
New Orleans Pelicans Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 115.7 PPG – 13TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 117.8 points per 100 possessions – 10TH
- Scoring Defense: 110.5 PPG – 8TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 112.5 points per 100 possessions – 6TH
The Denver Nuggets own the top spot out west in a conference race in which the top four teams are separated by just 5.5 games. Denver is 8-2 across its last 10 decisions but saw its recent four-game winning streak end with a 104-97 loss to the Phoenix Suns. In that contest, Nikola Jokic led the team in scoring (22 points), assists (10), and rebounds (nine).
Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. scored 18 points each, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson added 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Denver coach Michael Malone said after the game:
Not once did I think these guys are playing harder than us. “For most teams, every game is an important game. We’re trying to keep the No. 1 seed. You don’t have to come off a bad loss at San Antonio (like the Suns did) to be in a desperate game.
So, I think our guys definitely played hard. Could we have played better? Of course. And could we have made more shots? That definitely would have helped the outcome.
The Denver Nuggets shot 43.2 percent from the field and converted only 25 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc (10-for-40). The defending champions will need to be more efficient against a Timberwolves squad that boasts the best defense in the association.
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