The rivalry between the Nuggets and Timberwolves has heated up in the last few seasons.
The rivals will meet at Ball Arena for Game 1 of their Western Conference first round matchup Saturday. It’s the fourth time the teams will play in the postseason with two of those series coming in the last three years.
Here’s a look back at the teams’ previous matchups:
2004 Western Conference first round
Result: No. 1 Timberwolves 4, No. 8 Nuggets 1
What happened: The Nuggets returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 1994-95 season. Rookie Carmelo Anthony led Denver to the No. 8 seed and a matchup with Kevin Garnett and top-seeded Minnesota. The Nuggets lost the first two games on the road before routing the Timberwolves in Game 3. Denver dropped a close Game 4 before being eliminated in five games.
2023 Western Conference first round
Result: No. 1 Nuggets 4, No. 8 Timberwolves 1
What happened: The opening series in Denver’s run to the NBA title was tougher than the 4-1 outcome suggests. Denver routed Minnesota in Game 1 but the rest of the games were tight, including an overtime Game 4 overtime win on the road for the Nuggets, where Nikola Jokic had 43 points. Anthony Edwards missed a game-tying shot at the buzzer in Game 5 as Denver held on to close out the series.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA second-round playoff series Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
2024 Western Conference semifinals
Results: No. 3 Timberwolves 4, No. 2 Nuggets 3
What happened: A strange series to say the least. The Timberwolves won the first two games in Denver, but the Nuggets rallied to take both games in Minnesota. Denver rolled in Game 5 before Minnesota dominated Game 6. The Nuggets jumped all over the Timberwolves in Game 7 before blowing a 20-point lead to fall at Ball Arena.