The 2023-24 playoffs were a bit of a letdown, to say the least. The Denver Nuggets lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games, and the Nuggets were exposed by the Wolves, too.
After the series was complete, Nikola Jokic was asked whether the Wolves were rivals with the Nuggets, to which he replied, “Yes. I think they’re built to beat us.” Now the Nuggets have a chance to settle that score with their old rival in the opening round of the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs.
The Nuggets were bounced in seven by the Wolves in 2024, and it was an intense series. It was the second year in a row the two teams had met in the postseason. The Nuggets had won the previous battle 4-1.
Now the two meet again in the playoffs in the rubber match, for the third time in the past four years. The cast of players largely hasn’t changed, and you just know this matchup has some extra meaning to it for some.
The rivalry has a chance to heat up again. On top of being “built” to beat the Nuggets by former Nuggets GM Tim Connelly, there was genuine disdain from some players. Christian Braun said he “doesn’t like” the Timberwolves, and the series was chippy and physical.
And most of the rotations are largely intact. Karl-Anthony Towns has departed Minnesota, but they got Julius Randle to replace him and put up a fight against Jokic.
The Wolves still have Rudy Gobert, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and Anthony Edwards, who just set a career-high in scoring at 28.8 points per game. He’s 24 now, seasoned, and he’ll be even more fierce than in the past. Plus, they’ve still got Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid.
This is a Wolves team coming off back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances. They’re stout, and perhaps even deeper. But they don’t have the Joker.
The Nuggets are, of course, returning with Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Braun among the starters.
Nikola Jokic can change the rivalry in an instant. The three-time MVP Jokic has had quite the season against the Wolves. In four games against the Wolves, the Nuggets are 3-1, and the Joker averages 38.3 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 11.3 assists, plus plays some decent defense.
Joker had one of his best games against the Wolves this year, too. He went for 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists on the Christmas Day nightcap.
The Nuggets have played the Wolves better this year than in recent years. Joker looks to have figured something out, clearly by the numbers. Their rivals built a team to beat Joker, but they’ll have to outsmart him to get past him this year. Good luck, Timberwolves. This rival wants to advance the score this time.
As the 2025-26 postseason tips off, this Western Conference first-round series—No. 3 Denver Nuggets versus No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves—carries the weight of recent history and unfinished business. The Nuggets, who secured the third seed with a strong late-season surge, hold home-court advantage, with Game 1 set for Saturday, April 18, at Ball Arena.
What makes this matchup compelling is how little has changed on both sides. Minnesota’s defensive identity remains anchored by Gobert’s rim protection and the versatile wings surrounding Edwards, whose explosive scoring and growing playoff pedigree make him a constant threat. The addition of Randle provides another big body capable of battling in the post, ensuring the Wolves can still throw different looks at Jokic.
Yet Denver enters with momentum and belief. The regular-season dominance led by Jokic suggests the two-time champion has solved some of the puzzles the Wolves once posed. That Christmas Day masterpiece wasn’t just a statistical outlier—it was a statement that the Joker, when locked in, can overwhelm even the most tailored defensive schemes.
The physicality and edge that defined their previous playoff clashes are likely to resurface. Braun’s candid admission of dislike for the Timberwolves hints at lingering tension, and with both teams featuring largely intact cores, the series promises to be as emotionally charged as it is tactically complex.
For the Nuggets, it’s an opportunity to flip the script on a rival that once exposed their vulnerabilities. For the Wolves, it’s a chance to prove they remain built to compete at the highest level, even without their former All-Star big man.
In a playoff landscape filled with new narratives, this rematch feels refreshingly familiar—and potentially explosive. The rivalry the playoffs made real is back, and this time, both sides have even more to settle.