The nuggets – timberwolves series resumes tonight with Game 3 at Target Center in Minnesota, where the teams meet after splitting the first two games in Denver. Tipoff is set for 8: 42 p. m. ET, and Aaron Gordon will sit out for Denver because of a calf injury.
There is also fresh edge around the matchup after Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels called out Denver’s defense following Minnesota’s 119-114 Game 2 win. The Nuggets have mostly brushed off the remarks, but the tone has added another layer to a series already carrying playoff heat.
Game 3 returns the nuggets – timberwolves rivalry to Minnesota
One of the NBA’s newer rivalries continues at a loud and expectant Target Center, which is expected to be sold out. The teams have met in three of the past four postseasons, and this first-round series is tied 1-1 after both clubs protected home court in the opening two games.
The broadcast will be carried on Amazon Prime, with Kevin Harlan handling play-by-play. KFAN 100. 3 FM will air the radio broadcast, and the iHeart and Timberwolves apps will also carry the game. For many fans, the matchup will not be easy to find, which only adds to the sense that this is the kind of night people plan around.
Nuggets answer McDaniels without overplaying the moment
McDaniels’ comments after Game 2 landed hard. He said Denver was full of “bad defenders, ” and he named players including Tim Hardaway Jr., Cam Johnson and Aaron Gordon before broadening the criticism to the entire team.
Denver players were asked about it on Wednesday and kept their responses mostly restrained. Christian Braun said he viewed the remarks as part of the rivalry, adding that a team should not need outside noise to create postseason urgency. Cam Johnson welcomed the talk, saying, “They just been saying a lot. All season, all series. Let them talk. Let them get everything they want off their chest. ”
Nuggets coach David Adelman took a sharper angle, suggesting McDaniels may have been talking to boost his podcast or social media views. He then pointed to Denver’s defensive rating in the series and moved on.
What changes tonight in a tight series
Aaron Gordon being sidelined is the clearest lineup note going into Game 3, and that absence matters in a matchup where every possession has already carried weight. The series started in Denver, where both teams won once, and now shifts to Minnesota with the balance reset and emotions higher.
The immediate question is whether the Nuggets – timberwolves meeting turns into a sharper, more physical version of what the first two games already delivered. Denver has said little publicly beyond dismissing the criticism, but the setting, the crowd and the recent back-and-forth suggest there will be little room for either side to ease into the night.
For now, the series stands tied, the talk has not stopped, and the next answer comes on the floor in Minnesota. The nuggets – timberwolves matchup has already become about more than a single playoff game, and Game 3 is the chance for both teams to make the louder statement.
