Timberwolves Vs Nuggets: Wolves move ahead with 117-108 win at Ball Arena
In a high-stakes March afternoon matchup, timberwolves vs nuggets ended with Minnesota avoiding a season sweep, beating Denver 117-108 on March 1st, 2026 at Ball Arena in a nationally televised game on ABC.
Timberwolves Vs Nuggets: final score and stakes
The Wolves’ 117-108 victory ended a three-game skid to Denver this season and kept Minnesota’s push in the Western Conference moving. Both clubs entered the day with identical 37-23 records; the win moved the Wolves to 38-23 and put Denver at 37-24. Minnesota is now in fourth place, a game ahead of Denver, and will try to hold that spot while chasing Houston for the third seed; the Rockets were listed at 37-22 and had played two fewer games.
Second-quarter surge decided the game
Minnesota fell behind early, trailing 31-22 after a first quarter in which it shot 9-for-21 and Nikola Jokic poured in 13 points with four assists. The Wolves then flipped the script with a 36-19 second quarter to seize a 58-50 halftime lead and never relinquished control despite a few Denver runs.
Balanced scoring powered the road-trip finish
The Wolves closed a three-game road trip 3-0 and have won six of seven. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 21 points; Jaden McDaniels scored 20, and Bones Hyland finished with 18, 15 of those in the first half on a perfect 5-for-5. Julius Randle provided a key three-point play late in the third that pushed the score to 90-82 entering the fourth, and Naz Reid opened the fourth with nine points while Jokic rested to keep Minnesota ahead by double digits.
Jokic huge but couldn’t close it out for Denver
Nikola Jokic posted 35 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver showed vulnerability when Jokic was off the floor: the team was minus-11 in his minutes away from the game. Denver cut the deficit to 87-82 late in the third before Randle’s three-point play halted the run, and the Nuggets never seriously closed out the fourth.
Slow start, timely defense and role contributions
Minnesota’s defense tightened in the second quarter, holding Denver to 19 points in that period. Beyond Edwards and Randle, McDaniels had 10 first-half points and Ayo Dosunmu added seven. The Wolves used a balanced attack and steady defense in the non-Jokic minutes that coach Chris Finch had emphasized before the game; Finch said the team had “flagged it as a playoff game” and stressed getting redemption after the Christmas overtime loss that had been one of Denver’s earlier wins this season.
Context from the season and broadcast details
This matchup carried extra weight: last season Minnesota went 4-0 against Denver, but entering this game the Nuggets had taken the first three meetings in 2025-26, including the Christmas Day overtime victory in which Denver built a commanding lead before the Wolves forced extra time. The preview build-up highlighted Anthony Edwards versus Nikola Jokic and flagged concerns about Denver’s health; Jokic had missed time earlier in the year, and Aaron Gordon was sidelined with a hamstring and might have been available but likely not at full strength.
