The Minnesota Timberwolves continued their surge up the Western Conference standings Sunday, riding a balanced attack to a 117-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Anthony Edwards scored 21 points, while Bones Hyland delivered 18 — including 15 in the first half against his former team — as Minnesota swept its three-game road trip. The win pushed the Timberwolves to 38-23 and into fourth place in the West, one game ahead of Denver. It also marked Minnesota’s first victory over the Nuggets in four meetings this season.
With just two games separating third-seeded Houston from the sixth-place Los Angeles Lakers, every matchup carries postseason weight — something Timberwolves coach Chris Finch emphasized before tipoff.
Denver leaned heavily on its superstar, as Nikola Jokic finished with 35 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, narrowly missing a triple-double. Jamal Murray added 25 points, hitting 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Minnesota’s depth and timely shot-making.
The Nuggets have now dropped four of six since the All-Star break and continue to feel the absence of forward Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (hamstring).
Minnesota built a 58-50 halftime lead and extended it to 83-69 in the third quarter after Donte DiVincenzo knocked down three 3-pointers. Denver trimmed the deficit to five late in the period, but the Timberwolves responded with a closing push to take a 104-92 advantage with 7:05 remaining.
Murray briefly ignited the crowd with a soaring dunk over Rudy Gobert, but Minnesota answered with five straight points. Edwards then buried a clutch 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 109-96, and Denver never got closer than seven in the final minutes.
Up next: The Timberwolves return home to host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, while the Nuggets head to face the Utah Jazz on Monday night.
