Nuggets Fall to Timberwolves in Game 2 Thriller, Series Shifts to Minnesota

Ball Arena was electric late Monday night as the Denver Nuggets tipped off Game 2 of their playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Fueled by the home crowd, Denver came out swinging. The Nuggets built their largest lead of the first half at 19 points, with Jamal Murray setting the tone early. Murray knocked down three triples in the opening quarter, pouring in 11 points — including a four-point play that brought the crowd to its feet.

Midway through the first, Denver exploded on a 17-0 run, highlighted by multiple four-point plays and relentless defensive pressure. While Nikola Jokić was quiet as a scorer early — attempting his first shot with just over three minutes left in the first quarter — he still made his presence felt, dishing out five assists. The Nuggets closed the first quarter in control, leading 39-25.

The second quarter told a different story.

Minnesota chipped away at the deficit as Denver’s offense cooled off. The Timberwolves began to exploit the Nuggets’ zone defense and eventually flipped the script, building an eight-point lead midway through the quarter. But Denver responded.

Murray stayed hot, adding another nine points in the second, while Jokić found his rhythm with six points of his own. Then came the moment of the half — Murray launched a 60-foot buzzer-beater that found the bottom of the net, sending Ball Arena into a frenzy and tying the game at 64-64 heading into halftime.

In the second half, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ defense tightened up and made life difficult for Denver — but Nikola Jokić took over.

The two-time MVP found his rhythm in the third quarter, pouring in 16 points and keeping the Denver Nuggets within striking distance as the game turned into a grind.

It stayed that way down the stretch.

With just 1:25 remaining in the fourth, Aaron Gordon came through with a clutch three-pointer to cut the deficit to four, giving the Ball Arena crowd new life. Moments later, Jokić delivered again — throwing down a powerful dunk to bring Denver within two with under a minute to play.

After a costly travel by Anthony Edwards, the Nuggets got the ball back with 30.6 seconds remaining and a chance to tie or take the lead. Christian Braun stepped to the line and knocked down one of two free throws, trimming the Timberwolves’ lead to just one and setting up a dramatic finish.

In the final seconds, Jamal Murray had a chance to give Denver the lead, but his 18-foot jumper came up short. The Nuggets would fall to the Minnesota Timberwolves 119–114 in Game 2, sending the series to Minnesota tied in momentum.

Now, Denver hits the road for a pivotal Game 3, set for Thursday night with tipoff scheduled at 7:30 PM.