Timberwolves Vs Nuggets: timberwolves vs nuggets — Wolves move ahead with 117-108 win in Denver

Emerson Raymont

Published: March 2, 2026 9:36 AM ET

Timberwolves Vs Nuggets: timberwolves vs nuggets — Wolves move ahead with 117-108 win in Denver

The Timberwolves closed a three-game road trip with a 117-108 victory over the Nuggets in a Timberwolves vs Nuggets matchup that mattered for the standings. The result on March 1st, 2026 at Ball Arena snapped Minnesota’s 0-3 run against Denver this season and gave the Wolves a chance to leapfrog the Nuggets in the West.

Timberwolves Vs Nuggets at Ball Arena: March 1st, 2026, 2: 30 PM CST on ABC

The game was played March 1st, 2026 at Ball Arena with a 2: 30 PM CST tip and television coverage on ABC; radio coverage was listed as the Wolves App and iHeart Radio. It was billed as a national TV matchup between two conference heavyweights and a meeting of Anthony Edwards and Nikola Jokic. The matchup carried added weight in March — the month when teams realize there are 20-something games left and every result matters.

Wolves avoid season sweep with 117-108 win, close road trip 3-0

Minnesota’s balanced offense produced the victory and prevented a season sweep at the hands of Denver. After having dropped the first three matchups this season — including an overtime loss on Christmas Day — the Wolves finished the three-game road trip 3-0 and have won six of their past seven games. Coming into the day, both teams had a 37-23 record.

Second-quarter surge, 36-19 run and Hyland’s hot first half

After falling behind early, Minnesota used a 36-19 second quarter to seize the lead and never relinquished it despite several Denver runs. Bones Hyland scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half and was a perfect 5-for-5 before intermission; he seemed to relish the matchup against the team that traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023. Denver was minus-11 when Jokic was off the floor, and the Wolves held the Nuggets to 19 points in that second quarter to go into the half up 58-50.

Boxscore leaders: Edwards, McDaniels and Jokic’s near triple-double

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 21 points while Jaden McDaniels added 20. Bones Hyland finished with 18 points. Nikola Jokic paced Denver with 35 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Minnesota fell behind 31-22 in the first quarter on 9-for-21 shooting, with Jokic scoring 13 points and dishing four assists in that period. Jaden McDaniels had 10 points in the first half, Ayo Dosunmu scored seven, and Julius Randle provided scoring and a key three-point play late in the third that helped the Wolves enter the fourth up 90-82.

Fourth-quarter sequences, Naz Reid burst and unfinished context about Denver’s late threat

Naz Reid opened the fourth quarter with nine points that helped keep Minnesota ahead by double digits while Jokic rested to start the period. The Wolves led by as many as 14 points in the game; Denver made a run late in the third that cut the deficit to 87-82 before Randle’s three-point play pushed it back to 90-82 entering the fourth. How seriously Denver threatened in the fourth quarter is unclear in the provided context.

Standings shuffle, tiebreaker complications and Chris Finch’s remarks in Denver

The Wolves improved to 38-23 and sit in fourth place, a game ahead of Denver at 37-24. Minnesota will try to stay ahead of the Nuggets and chase Houston for the third seed; the Rockets were 37-22 and led the Wolves by winning percentage, having played two fewer games. Because Minnesota is 1-3 against Denver this season, the Wolves do not hold the head-to-head tiebreaker and will need to finish a game ahead of the Nuggets in the standings to be seeded ahead of them in a head-to-head tiebreaker scenario.

Coach Chris Finch, speaking to reporters in Denver, framed the game as a playoff-style contest: “We flagged it as a playoff game for us. They have the tiebreaker, so we got to keep our nose in front of them. That means we had to win this one here. We were mad at ourselves on Christmas. We had kicked that one away, and we were itching to get back here and redeem ourselves. ” On the importance of non-Jokic minutes and Hyland’s work, Finch said: “You got to win the non-Jokic minutes. We’ve been inconsistent over the last several years with that.... Bones was spectacular today. Played with great pace, got downhill and forced things to happen. Loved his defense, too. Really competed. ”

Matchup history and Denver’s vulnerabilities

Before the game, Denver had taken all three meetings this season; the December meeting on Christmas Day featured a commanding Nuggets lead that Minnesota erased to force overtime when Anthony Edwards hit a clutch shot, but Denver still prevailed. The preview build-up noted that Nikola Jokic has missed time this year and that Aaron Gordon has been sidelined with a hamstring; Gordon might have been available Sunday but was expected to be unlikely to be at peak form. Even in uneven weeks, Jokic remains a matchup challenge capable of producing triple-doubles. Minnesota’s 2024 playoff victory over Denver was built on connected defense, when “five guys mov[ed] like a single organism, ” and the Wolves have flashed that version of themselves at times this season, most notably in their recent game against OKC. Guards were reminded that they must contain Jamal Murray to prevent his heaters and limit Denver’s backcourt damage.