Minnesota at Denver 7:00 ET
Nuggets (-) over Timberwolves- Last year, the Minnesota Timberwolves were a stepping stone to an NBA championship. This time around, Minnesota is a roadblock to the Denver Nuggets' quest for a repeat. Denver needed just five games to dispatch Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs in 2023, but it was a competitive series that former Nuggets guard Bruce Brown said was the toughest of the four rounds. Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters Friday that Caldwell-Pope has been a full participant in the two practices this week while Murray has been in and out. The Nuggets' chances of winning the series will greatly diminish without Murray, and they will have to lean even more on presumptive MVP Nikola Jokic, who will battle with Towns and Rudy Gobert up front. Take DENVER!