2023 Western Conference First-Round Playoff Matchup: Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
The 2023 NBA Playoff matchups are officially set, with the Minnesota Timberwolves securing the eighth seed with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. They are now set to face the No. 1-seeded Denver Nuggets. These two teams have faced off just one time in the postseason, coming in 2004 when the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets four games to one in the first round.
These two teams have faced each other four times this year, splitting the season series two games a piece, with Denver winning the most recent matchup handily 146-112. Michael Porter Jr. scored a game-high 30 points, with Minnesotas leading scorers Luka Garza and Anthony Edwards each scoring 19 points.
Here is the first-round schedule:
| Game | Date | Matchup | Time | TV |
| Game 1 | Sunday, April 16 | Minnesota @ Denver | 10:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| Game 2 | Wednesday, April 19 | Minnesota @ Denver | 10:00 p.m. ET | TNT |
| Game 3 | Friday, April 21 | Denver @ Minnesota | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Game 4 | Sunday, April 23 | Denver @ Minnesota | 9:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| Game 5* | Tuesday, April 25 | Minnesota @ Denver | TBD | TBD |
| Game 6* | Thursday, April 27 | Denver @ Minnesota | TBD | TBD |
| Game 7* | Sunday, April 29 | Minnesota @ Denver | TBD | TNT |
Denver Nuggets
Probable Starters:
- PG: Jamal Murray
- SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- SF: Michael Porter Jr.
- PF: Aaron Gordon
- C: Nikola Jokic
Rotation:
- G: Bruce Brown
- G: Reggie Jackson
- G: Christian Braun
- F: Zeke Nnaji
- F: Jeff Green
This Denver Nuggets team just might be the best in franchise history. While their 53 wins rank tied for fifth all-time, this is their first time winning the Western Conference in the regular season. They were anchored by back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic as he looked to be the first player since Larry Bird to win three in a row.
His running mates Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. missed time this year but showed flashes of the players they could be. The Nuggets also got huge production off the bench this year from guys like Bruce Brown, Christian Braun, and others. The Nuggets averaged 115.8 ppg on 50.4% shooting from the field and 37.9% from three. However, they stumbled across the finish line, going 5-5 in their last 10 games, not looking like the team from before.
Minnesota Timberwolves
- PG: Mike Conley
- SG: Anthony Edwards
- SF: Kyle Anderson
- PF: Karl-Anthony Towns
- C: Rudy Gobert
Rotation:
- G: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- G: Jordan McLaughlin
- G: Austin Rivers
- F: Luka Garza
- F: Nathan Knight
The road wasn’t always easy for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as it took 84 games for them to secure a playoff berth this year. The Rudy Gobert trade has not worked out as well as they thought it would, but they still reached the playoffs for the third time in seven years.
Second-year player Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 24.8 points per game. This Timberwolves team also averaged 115.8 points but on 49% shooting from the field and 36.5% from three. Naz Reid played well for them this year, and the emergence of Nickeil Alexander-Walker at the end of the year surged this team to clinch the eighth seed.
Prediction:
As the resident Denver Nuggets fan, I am going to try and leave my bias at the door.
Nuggets in five.
All jokes aside, this should be an easy series for the Nuggets. The Minnesota Timberwolves barely made it into the playoffs, and it would appear their locker room is in shambles. Denver, when firing on all cylinders, is a top-three team in the NBA but consistency will be a concern. Regardless, I believe that Denver will complete a gentleman’s sweep of the Timberwolves, dropping game four in Minnesota and winning game five in Denver in front of the home fans.
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