The 2025-2026 NBA regular season has officially concluded for the Denver Nuggets, and they are riding high into the postseason.
Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets closed out the campaign on a scorching 11-game winning streak. On Sunday, April 12, they capped the regular season with a decisive 128-118 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. With the third seed in the Western Conference now locked in, Denver turns its full attention to a familiar and formidable first-round opponent: the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves finished the regular season with a solid 48-33 record, earning the sixth seed in the West. This matchup marks the fifth time the two teams will face off in the 2025-2026 season — and potentially the start of a grueling best-of-seven playoff series.
Following a packed slate of season finales on Sunday, the NBA released the initial Game 1 schedule for the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The Nuggets will host the Timberwolves in Game 1 on Saturday, April 18, with tip-off scheduled for 3:30 PM ET at Ball Arena in Denver.
This series promises intensity, as the two teams have already battled four times during the regular season, with Denver holding a 3-1 edge.
- On October 27, the Nuggets opened the season series with a 127-114 road win in Minnesota, sparking a three-game winning streak against the Wolves.
- They followed up on November 15 with a 123-112 victory on the road.
- The Christmas Day showdown on December 25 required overtime, where Jokić delivered a masterpiece, leading Denver to a thrilling 142-138 win.
- The Timberwolves finally broke through on March 1, securing a 117-108 home victory. Anthony Edwards paced Minnesota with 21 points, spoiling a near triple-double from Jokić (35 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists).
The Nuggets enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league, thanks to their late-season surge and the continued dominance of Jokić, widely regarded as the engine of Denver’s offense and one of the most complete players in the NBA. The Timberwolves, led by the explosive Edwards, bring elite athleticism, defensive tenacity, and the ability to make life difficult for even the best teams when clicking on all cylinders.
This will be a highly anticipated rematch with playoff implications. The Nuggets will look to leverage home-court advantage and their experience in high-stakes games, while Minnesota aims to flip the script from the regular season and make a deep postseason run.
Stay tuned as the 2026 NBA Playoffs get underway. Game 1 between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves is set for Saturday, April 18 at 3:30 PM ET. Expect a physical, high-level battle between two Western Conference contenders with plenty of history — and potentially seven more chapters to write.