When the Denver Nuggets arrive in Ball Arena to play the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the second round, they’ll have been rested for five days.
After an 82-game season, rest comes far and few between. But for the Denver Nuggets, they’ve closed out each of their last three playoff series in five or fewer games, giving them a decided edge in the fatigue department.
But when the Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in round one, they might’ve found something against the Lakers that will give them an even bigger boost against a gritty defensive team like the Timberwolves.
Though the Timberwolves may have capable defenders in Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and multiple-time DPOY winner Rudy Gobert, the Denver Nuggets are beneficiaries of a brand-new formula.
Preview: Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
The defending champs. The top-ranked defense. Who will advance?@Powell2daPeople previews a tantalizing second-round showdown out West between the Timberwolves and Nuggets, tipping off Saturday on TNT!
📰: https://t.co/BUjaWV93aA pic.twitter.com/8fY2zfIZqj
— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2024
Before the 2023-24 NBA season tipped off, many expected the Denver Nuggets to feed off the momentum of their first NBA championship in franchise history, while many anticipated the Timberwolves would take just a few steps closer in a winning direction.
Well, it turns out that both of these projections were true — except the Timberwolves were a lot better than the vast majority predicted.
Thanks to the rapid ascension of young stars Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, the Minnesota Timberwolves have leaped from a fringe playoff team a year ago to a legitimate contender in 2024.
If the Timberwolves season ended today, they’ve already punched their ticket to a glowing future. If they lose in a hard-fought seven-game series against the defending champs, their season would be a huge success in terms of where they were a year ago. But speaking of the defending champs, the Denver Nuggets enter Saturday’s game with a +240 odds of winning the 2024 NBA championship.
Denver’s high-powered offense vs Minnesota’s 1st ranked defense: who has the edge?
Nikola Jokic vs. Minnesota’s Twin Towers
This second-round matchup poses a number of exciting matchups: Jamal Murray vs Anthony Edwards, Micheal Porter Jr. vs. Jaden McDaniels, and likely soon-to-become 3x NBA MVP Nikola Jokic vs. Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert.
In the last three seasons, Nikola Jokic had a 126.4 offensive rating with a plus-minus of +35 against Minnesota.
Last year vs. both Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic, again, faced little resistance on offense. He averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists on 49 percent shooting from the floor overall. He also knocked down 11 of his 22 three-point attempts en route to eliminating Minnesota in five games.
Just a few weeks ago, Jokic scored 41 points on 80 percent shooting against Rudy Gobert, though Anthony-Towns sat out that game.
For the Timberwolves to realize their true potential against the defending NBA champions, they’ll need to figure out a way to contain the former MVP — something they haven’t come close to doing in years.
Additionally, Anthony Edwards must continue his ascension to superstardom by outplaying Denver’s Jamal Murray on offense while using his size and athleticism to contain him on defense.
Dating back to the start of the 2023 calendar year, the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves have been in a tug-of-war in the win column, with no team winning consecutive matchups, making this one of the more anticipated second-round matchups in recent years.
Denver Nuggets Dangerous New Formula
Nuggets have a 3-1 lead, but Lakers have been up in every game this series 😮
(h/t @WorldWideWob) pic.twitter.com/YAZmmKODjZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2024
During the Denver-Los Angeles first-round series, you might have come across the stunning stat that showed the discrepancy in the amount of time Los Angeles held a lead over Denver. Despite losing the series in five games, the Los Angeles Lakers tripled the Denver Nuggets in leading the scoreboard, with L.A. holding a lead for a whopping 150 minutes compared to just 50 minutes for Denver.
While some have used this to place seeds of doubt for the Nuggets moving forward, it might not be that simple.
If you beat a team every time despite them having a double-digit lead over you in the same game, it means you’re just the superior team. The Denver Nuggets are undoubtedly better than the Los Angeles Lakers. But the Nuggets looking nonchalant each time the Lakers mounted leads had a deeper meaning to it.
You could argue that the Nuggets were pacing themselves the entire series, knowing they would be able to overcome any deficit and still win the game. This could’ve been done to prevent burnout and fatigue in only round one when you know you have plenty of tough battles ahead.
This series was eerily similar to the Western Conference Finals between the Portland Trailblazers and the Golden State Warriors back in 2019.
In games 2, 3, and 4, Portland held a 17-point lead twice and an 18-point lead, respectively, but they were still swept thanks to Steph Curry’s historic play. Golden State knew they were better; the vast majority knew Golden State was just better, so the Warriors paced themselves in each of these games and turned it on in the fourth quarter to rally back.
We just watched the Denver Nuggets deploy a similar strategy, putting less tread on their players’ tires early in the game so they could storm back late, allowing their stars to feel rejuvenated and well-rested ahead of Saturday’s game 1 vs Minnesota.
To avoid injuries and fatigue early in the postseason — Denver’s plan was genius.
About The Author
Adel, 23, is a Senior NBA Writer for the NBA on Total Apex Sports. He is a passionate NBA fan with a deep background in writing across the media, sports debate, and screenwriting for YouTube and TikTok.
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
