The wolves game plan delivered on Thursday night in Game 3, as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 113-96 and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the opening round series. Minnesota did it in Denver, with defense setting the tone from the first quarter and never letting up. The result also pushed the Timberwolves into a rare statistical corner, with both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray held to inefficient shooting in the same playoff game.
Defense set the pace from the opening minutes
The wolves game opened with Minnesota jumping to a 25-11 first-quarter lead, and the Nuggets never recovered. Denver scored only 11 points in the first quarter in one account of the game, and another breakdown showed the Nuggets at 3-for-21 from the field and 1-for-9 from 3 by the end of the opening period. That early pressure forced Denver out of rhythm and made the rest of the night an uphill climb.
Minnesota’s defense was the central story. Rudy Gobert protected the paint and contested against Jokic, while Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo hounded Jamal Murray. The Wolves also sped up Denver’s offense, limited its movement, and kept the Nuggets from building the kind of flow that had made them the NBA’s top scoring and efficiency team during the regular season.
Jokic and Murray were contained in a way Minnesota had not done before
Jokic finished with 27 points, but he did so on 7-for-26 shooting and 2-for-10 from 3-point range, while also turning the ball over four times against only three assists. Murray added another challenge for Denver, going 5-for-17 from the field and missing all five of his 3-point attempts. Together, the two stars finished 12-for-43 from the field, which captured how completely Minnesota disrupted Denver’s primary attack.
One key note from the game: Minnesota became the first team ever to hold two 25-plus point scorers from the regular season to under 30 percent shooting in a playoff game where both players took at least 15 shots. That is the kind of defensive milestone that gives a series a different feel, especially when it comes against a team that had finished the regular season with the NBA’s best offensive rating.
McDaniels backed up his talk, and the Timberwolves kept control
Jaden McDaniels drew attention for backing up his Game 2 postgame comments with his play in Game 3. His pressure on Murray, along with his cuts, drives, and dunks, helped Minnesota keep control after the early burst. Anthony Edwards played only 23 minutes, with just eight coming in the second half, yet Minnesota still maintained its edge through a team effort that kept the game from tightening.
Ayo Dosunmu also provided value in the flow of the second quarter, with his defense, transition attack, drives, and paint touches helping Minnesota sustain momentum. Even with Denver missing Aaron Gordon because of a calf injury, the larger issue was how thoroughly Minnesota disrupted the Nuggets’ offense.
The wolves game now moves into a crucial next stretch with Minnesota holding the series lead and Denver needing a cleaner offensive response. The Nuggets still have the identity that made them dangerous all season, but Thursday night showed how quickly that can be stripped away when the Timberwolves bring this level of pressure, discipline, and force.
