Jamal Murray drained 30 points, including all 16 of his free throws, to power the Denver Nuggets past the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series Saturday night at Ball Arena.
The Nuggets trailed by 12 points early but flipped the script with a dominant 68-46 edge in the second and third quarters. A 17-2 run in the third quarter buried Minnesota's comeback hopes, handing Denver a 1-0 series lead on April 18, 2026.
Nikola Jokic sealed the victory with a triple-double, tallying 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. The reigning NBA champions leaned on their star duo's chemistry, combining for 55 points, 18 rebounds and 18 assists, according to NBA.com game takeaways.
Murray shrugged off physical defense from Minnesota, going a perfect 16-for-16 from the free-throw line. "I thought I got fouled on every single one of them. Real fouls," Jamal Murray, Nuggets guard, said postgame, defending his calls amid Timberwolves complaints.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch zeroed in on those free throws after the loss. "Well, the 16 free throws from Murray was a head scratcher," Chris Finch, Timberwolves coach, told reporters, pointing to the officiating as a key factor in the physical matchup, per the Denver Post's Troy Renck.
Denver's bench provided a spark too, outscoring Minnesota's reserves 42-28. Aaron Gordon added 14 points and 8 rebounds, while Christian Braun chipped in 12 points off the bench for the Nuggets.
Minnesota leaned on Anthony Edwards, who scored 28 points, but the Timberwolves shot just 42% from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns managed 18 points and 10 rebounds, yet Denver's interior defense limited second-chance opportunities.
The Associated Press noted the game's physical tone, with both teams combining for 52 fouls. Nuggets coach Michael Malone praised his team's resilience: "We stayed composed, trusted the process, and our stars delivered when it mattered most." Michael Malone, Nuggets coach, said.
Game 2 looms Tuesday night back at Ball Arena. Minnesota must solve Denver's mid-game surges to even the series. The Nuggets, fresh off a strong regular season, aim to defend their title starting with this hard-fought opener.
| Denver Nuggets | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Points: 116 | Points: 105 |
| Jamal Murray: 30 pts (16/16 FT) | Anthony Edwards: 28 pts |
| Nikola Jokic: 25 pts, 13 reb, 11 ast | Karl-Anthony Towns: 18 pts, 10 reb |
| FG%: 47.2% | FG%: 42.1% |
| Reb: 48 | Reb: 44 |
| Ast: 28 | Ast: 22 |
