DENVER (AP) — The main actors remain the same for Minnesota-Denver, Part III. The plot line is similar, too.
“But a totally different movie,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said.
Grab the popcorn and recline back because the headliners always seem to put on a show. The series between the Timberwolves and Nuggets, featuring Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, becomes the third installment over the last four postseasons. Each team
has won a series.
“I don’t think there’s anything else to call it but a rivalry,” Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said of a first-round matchup that kicks off Saturday.
It certainly checks all the boxes to place that rivalry label on it: Close games (14-14 over 28 regular season and playoff contests since 2022). Close proximity (both reside in the Northwest Division). Close relationships (plenty of front office and coaching crossover).
“It’s weird to shake their hands after the series, because you know those guys so well,” Adelman said.
The Nuggets won in five games over the Timberwolves in 2023 on their march to the franchise's first NBA title. A year later, the Wolves erased a 20-point deficit in Game 7 to beat Denver in the second round. Minnesota made it to the Western Conference finals.
“Good teams are built to beat good teams,” Adelman explained.
Good teams also know each other well. The Nuggets will focus on Edwards, who averaged 30.3 points against them this season. He fully expects to draw a crowd.
“But nothing they’re going to throw at me that’s unexpected,” Edwards said.
Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, will be the center of attention for Minnesota. He's averaged 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 42 career regular-season games against Minnesota. Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, will draw the responsibility of limiting Jokic. Murray, who is Jokic's pick-and-roll partner, also is a dynamic factor.
“The teams are both just really talented. We’re both physical teams,” Nuggets guard Christian Braun said. “It’ll be a tough first-round matchup.”
The latest chapter of the rivalry has a slightly different supporting cast than the last time they met in the playoffs. In for the Nuggets is Cameron Johnson instead of Michael Porter Jr. Taking the floor for the Timberwolves is Julius Randle as opposed to Karl-Anthony Towns.
“The players are really locked in,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “We should have fun. This is why we're playing. It's our job to keep the guys on point, focused and a little bit on edge. That's when we're at our best."
There are so many ties between the franchise as well.
First and foremost, Tim Connelly, the president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves whose fingerprints are all over building the Denver roster after his time in the Mile High City.
In the Nuggets front office is Jonathan Wallace, who arrived from Minnesota.
On the sideline, Finch was once an assistant in Denver, while Adelman served as an assistant in Minnesota when his father, Rick, was in charge.
The friendships, though, go on hold for the series.
When the Nuggets beat Minnesota in 2023, the team was humming along. In 2024, they were limping along. This season, they're rolling along on a 12-game winning streak.
“This team feels very different,” Adelman said. “We’re really confident. I think everybody in the West should be. Anybody in the West can win this thing.”
Adelman had three games as interim head coach before heading into the playoffs a season ago. He took over for coach Michael Malone after Malone and GM Calvin Booth were let go. Adelman directed Denver to a Game 7 win over the Los Angeles Clippers before being eliminated in seven games by an Oklahoma City team that would win the title. He was promoted after the season.
“Getting to see him be the head of the snake for us has been fun," Braun said.
Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett led the Timberwolves to a 4-1 series win over the Nuggets in 2004. Minnesota would make it to the conference finals before losing to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Timberwolves had two play-in games in 2023 before reaching the playoffs. They lost Game 1 to the Nuggets by 29 points. With nearly a full week of rest and practice in 2024, they beat Phoenix by 25 points in Game 1 and swept that first-round series. Last year, same thing – avoiding the play-in games helped them face the Lakers fresh and win Game 1 by 22 points and take that series in five games.
They’re hoping the extra time will help them again this year against the Nuggets.
“My body definitely needed it," Randle said. "It was a great way to recharge. I’m excited to go into the playoffs again healthy and recharged.”
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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minnesota contributed.
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