Timberwolves Vs Nuggets: Wolves Avoid Sweep with 117-108 Road Win in Denver
In a consequential March showdown, timberwolves vs nuggets ended with the Timberwolves escaping Ball Arena with a 117-108 victory on March 1st, 2026 at 2: 30 PM CST. The win snapped Minnesota's three-game skid to Denver this season, kept the Wolves moving on a hot streak and reshaped the immediate Western Conference pecking order.
Timberwolves Vs Nuggets: Final score and standing shifts
The Timberwolves beat the Nuggets 117-108, closing their three-game road trip 3-0 and improving to 38-23. Denver fell to 37-24. Both teams had entered the day tied at 37-23. The outcome moved Minnesota a game ahead of Denver in the standings; Houston sits ahead of Minnesota in the race for third by percentage, having two fewer games played (37-22). Because Minnesota is 1-3 against Denver this season, the Wolves still lack the head-to-head tiebreaker and must finish a game ahead to be seeded ahead in that scenario.
How the Wolves built the win
Minnesota fell behind early—trailing 31-22 after the first quarter on just 9-for-21 shooting—before ripping off a 36-19 second-quarter run that delivered control. The Wolves held Denver to 19 points in that second quarter and led 58-50 at the half. Minnesota led by as many as 14 and weathered a Denver push late in the third, when the Nuggets cut the margin to 87-82 before Julius Randle hit a three-point play to make it 90-82 entering the fourth.
Key performers and game details
- Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 21 points.
- Jaden McDaniels scored 20 points, adding 10 in the first half.
- Bones Hyland finished with 18 points, 15 of those coming in the first half on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting stretch before intermission.
- Nikola Jokic produced a monster line for Denver: 35 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.
- Naz Reid opened the fourth quarter with nine points that helped sustain a double-digit lead while Jokic rested.
- Ayo Dosunmu contributed seven points in the first half.
Context and narrative threads
Last season Minnesota swept Denver 4-0, but this season the Nuggets had won the first three matchups, including an overtime victory on Christmas Day after Denver built a commanding lead and the Wolves forced extra time. Sunday’s game represented Minnesota’s final opportunity to avoid a regular-season sweep by Denver; they seized it.
The win also followed a run of strong form for Minnesota: the victory was the sixth in seven games, and the third straight win to close the road trip. Earlier on the trip the Wolves had beaten Portland and Los Angeles, games that were more stressful than they needed to be but still produced the desired results.
Matchup notes: defense, rotations and injuries
Denver had shown vulnerability this season; Nikola Jokic missed time earlier in the year and Aaron Gordon has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. Gordon might be available for games but could not be expected to be at full strength immediately. Even when Denver feels "human, " Jokic remains a force who can pile up near triple-doubles with regularity. The Wolves will need sustained, connected defense to handle Jokic’s passing and to avoid lazy help rotations that create open layups and corner threes.
On the perimeter, Minnesota’s guards were tasked with limiting Jamal Murray’s scoring bursts—containment of Murray remains a central tactical focus against Denver.
