Both teams have healthy rosters entering the conference semifinals.
Following Monday night’s decisive victory over the Lakers in Game 5, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone expressed relief at having extra time to get his team ready for “a beast.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves are that beast; they defeated the Suns in a dominant opening round to set up a rematch of the first-round series from the previous year, which Denver won in six games to win the NBA championship.
“We refused to board the jet that was returning to Los Angeles. Thus, we can now attempt to prepare for Saturday’s matchup with a beast in Minnesota,” Malone stated on Monday evening.
Malone will be paying particular attention to Denver’s 3-point shooting. After a prolonged period of difficulty from deep, the Nuggets made 16 triples in Game 5 against the Lakers. In his opinion, making 3-pointers will be crucial when facing the larger Timberwolves.
Monday night, Malone remarked, “There’s so much room for improvement.” “Seeing us finally hit some threes tonight—16 for 38—was fantastic. Not because they weren’t attractive, but more because they weren’t declining, that has been a major source of difficulty for us.
For the majority of the season, Minnesota was the best team in the West, so we can and will need to improve, Malone continued. “And it will undoubtedly be a fiercely contested series, and they will undoubtedly seek retribution for the previous season.”
How did the regular season go between Minnesota and Denver?
They shared the season series 2-2, but in all save one game, injuries plagued both benches. The only time both clubs were completely healthy was on November 1st, when the Nuggets went to Target Center in Minneapolis and lost 110-89.
On March 19, they played again in Minneapolis, where the Nuggets prevailed 115–111, with a 15-point advantage at the half. Despite being without Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid, Minnesota mounted a fierce comeback in the second half. The Nuggets had perfect health.
They faced off in Denver and Minnesota ten days later, with the Nuggets coming out on top 111-98. Towns was gone from Minnesota, and Denver was without Jamal Murray.
Nikola Jokic put on a display in the final regular season clash on April 10 in Denver, scoring 41 points on 16 of 20 shots. The Timberwolves were once again without Towns, and the Nuggets were playing at their peak.
Though the Timberwolves could be at a disadvantage if head coach Chris Finch is unable to instruct from the sidelines, both teams are healthy going into the final series. Sunday’s Game 4 versus Phoenix resulted in a ruptured patellar tendon for Finch. He is having surgery this week, so it is unknown how he will feel going into the Nuggets series.
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