The Denver Nuggets were heading to Sunday with a terrific stride in the middle of the season and things looked like they’re finally working. Nikola Jokic is making another case for MVP and Russell Westbrook is finally fitting in with the team. However, the Nugget’s fruitful month and Jokic’s historic NBA record were snapped by a catastrophic 29-point blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Before hopping inside the Target Center in Minnesota, the Nuggets were coming from a 12-3 record in their last 15 games. What’s even more impressive is that Jokic is the only player in NBA history to record four consecutive triple-doubles without playing in the fourth quarter since at least 1996-1997. It definitely is one of the Joker’s most insane streaks, but that did not matter during their ugly loss on Sunday.
Timberwolves Containing Jokic Isn’t a Normal Day in the NBA
This is the second time the Wolves and the Nuggets met this season, and unsurprisingly, Minnesota won both. Just like the 2024 playoffs, the Nuggets just couldn’t get through the Wolves’ interior defense.
Minnesota has made some success off of the Twin Towers against an MVP Jokic last year, with Rudy Gobert as the primary rim protector and Karl-Anthony Towns taking the responsibility in guarding the Serbian superstar. After beating Denver in the semis, it’s clear that they’ve created a formula to at least contain Jokic in the paint.
Fast forward to 2025, KAT is already traded for Julius Randle, but it seems that they’re still giving the Nuggets a lot of trouble. During their latest matchup on January 26, Gobert and the Timberwolves put a stop to Jokic’s incredible triple-double streak, and only allowed him to grab three rebounds.
Well, to be fair, this loss isn’t only because of their defense. Anthony Edwards was putting on a show in his own version of “flu game” in front of their home crowd after getting 34 points. Despite feeling sick, Edwards stepped up and went ballistic.
All that being said,
Should Jokic and the Nuggets Be Afraid of the Timberwolves?
Realistically speaking, the Nuggets may have been losing to the Timberwolves, and Gobert may be able to keep up with Jokic defensively, but Minnesota isn’t really the better team. They are not even having a great season after being Western Conference Finalists in 2024.
Edwards is a star, but not quite on an MVP level yet, while Randle is still a hit-or-miss, and Gobert is too much of a liability on offense.
Jokic is still getting better each year while he also slowly masters all aspects of the game. As a frontrunner for MVP who continuously develops as he ages, it’s not unlikely for him and Denver to find a solution to one of their strongest competitors.
