The Nuggets square off in primetime again this Sunday, this time facing a fully-healthy Timberwolves squad tied for fourth in the West. With the Thunder coasting to another one seed and the Spurs keeping pace thanks to an 11-game winning streak, the Nuggets (and their brutal remaining schedule) will have to start beating elite teams on a nearly nightly basis to stay in the top of the bracket.
Today’s game could have significant implications on the final seeding as Denver, Minnesota, Houston, and the LA Lakers are now within two games of each other.
The Nuggets have been up and down since Nikola Jokic returned, winning only 4 of the last 10 including an embarrassing loss to the Warriors’ bench a week ago. Coming off a tough overtime loss in OKC, Denver needs to find the defense they played against Boston earlier in the week if they’re going to avoid their 12th home loss of the season.
The Basics
Who: Minnesota Timberwolves (37-23) at Denver Nuggets (37-23)
When: 1:30 PM MST
Where: Ball Arena, Denver
How to watch/listen: ABC / Altitude TV / + / Tuner
Rival Blog: Canis Hoopus
Injury Report | Nuggets: Cameron Johnson—probable (ankle); Spencer Jones—probable (shoulder); Aaron Gordon—out (hamstring); Peyton Watson—out (hamstring)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Julius Randle—questionable (back)
The Three Things
The thing to watch for: Can the Nuggets keep Ant in check?
The BITW will be on the court Sunday in Denver. But if you ask Carmelo Anthony, that player wears number five for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ant has been great this season, averaging just shy of 30 PPG on 50/40/80 shooting splits. More than the raw numbers, though, the Wolves still-young superstar threatens to explode for 40-50 every time he steps on the court and has the swagger of a player who knows it.
The Nuggets haven’t done a great job on Edwards in the first two matchups. Number five has averaged 35/7/4.5 with 3 steals and a block, although his three-point shooting wasn’t great in those games. With Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson’s hamstrings still nuking the Nuggets’ defense, Ant will have an additional advantage in this one. If CB, CJ, and SJ can keep the lid on him, Jokic, Murray, and the Nuggets’ number one offense will put up plenty of points on the other end to secure a full-game lead for fourth.
The thing to remember: The Nuggets have handled the Wolves this year
The good guys are 3-0 against the Timberwolves so far this season. While Ant-Man did miss one of those games, the Nuggets beat them by 11 in Minnesota early in the season and withstood a 42-point Edwards onslaught into overtime on Christmas Day to notch another win. With another first-round matchup between these two teams looking like a very real possibility, staying a game ahead and having the psychological edge of a 4-0 regular season record should cause the Nuggets to amp the intensity, especially on defense, to keep pushing their advantage in this matchup.
The thing to bet: The Superstar 4-Way Parlay | Ant +30 points and +1.5 threes; Jokic +30 points and 1.5 threes
It’s hard to imagine the stars not showing out for this one. Both Jokic and Edwards average just under 30 PPG and will likely take between 6-10 threes each. Jok couldn’t buy a three against OKC Friday night, but it’s rare for him to have bad shooting nights multiple games in a row, especially against elite competition. This could be a good opportunity to bet mean reversion and take the overs.
