Minnesota doesn’t shy away from the “rivalry” term when it comes to Denver.
Saturday’s Game 1 marks the third time in the last four years the Nuggets and Timberwolves have met in the postseason.
The two sides dueled for seven games in a conference semifinals two years ago. They played in an epic Christmas nightcap this season. They tout two of the game’s top six players, who’ve been main characters in each of the playoff spars.
“I don’t think there’s anything else to call it but a rivalry, yeah,” Wolves star guard Anthony Edwards said. “I think there’s a lot of rivalries in the league, for sure. I think me and Denver is one of them.”
If anything is a rivalry in this era of the NBA, it’s this. While Edwards said there are “a lot” in today’s game, few immediately come to mind.
Knicks-Pacers earned that designation after consecutive, intense playoff series the last two years. Perhaps Knicks-Celtics will also rise to that level should those teams meet again in Round 2 of these playoffs after last year’s clash.
But what’s required for rivalries to reach the “all time” status achieved by the Celtics-Lakers, Warriors-Cavaliers, Bulls-Pistons, the 1990s Knicks-Pacers and Knicks-Heat to cement their place amid the league’s vaunted history?
Star power is a must. Edwards and Nikola Jokic emphatically check those boxes. Even Jamal Murray — the Robin to Jokic’s Batman— has been a mainstay in Denver. When these two teams get together, you know who you’re going to see. Though, it does detract a bit from the showdowns that none of the central figures consistently guard one another.
Frequency of meetings matters. Reggie Miller’s Pacers met Patrick Ewing’s Knicks six times from 1993-2000. The Bad Boy Pistons took on Michael Jordan’s Bulls four straight times from 1988-91, and the Heat and Knicks played four straight years from 1997-2000. The Warriors and Cavaliers played in four straight NBA Finals.
Such repetition creates familiarity and, likely, animosity.
Hard fouls, trash talk and verbal jabs on the floor, and in the media, set a slight tone of hatred that fuels competitiveness and creates lasting memories. This is where the Wolves and Nuggets are lacking. There seems to be a mutual respect between the two sides, who are often complimentary of one another during and after their duels.
That could be because there are too many friendly bonds. Yes, Tim Connelly was Denver’s basketball boss and left the Nuggets in favor of Minnesota’s more financially lucrative offer. But he maintains strong bonds with Murray and Jokic.
Micah Nori, Minnesota’s lead assistant coach, previously coached Jokic in Denver, and those two are also in constant communication. Players on both sides are constantly praising one another.
Perhaps more high-intensity meetings will lead to folks starting to rub each other the wrong way, but hatred isn’t a word used to describe the current relationship between the two organizations.
Still, Chris Finch said Nuggets-Wolves has “all the makings of what a rivalry should be.” The two teams frequently stand in the way of one another’s ultimate goals as they both target Western Conference supremacy.
Denver had to go through Minnesota en route to its 2023 title. The Wolves short-circuited the Nuggets’ repeat attempt. Now, Denver appears primed to make another run at a title but will have to get through a familiar foe in Round 1 just to kick off its postseason party.
Jokic stated two years ago Minnesota was “built” to beat Denver. It’s hard to ignore the size Connelly collected that, whether intentional or not, sure proved beneficial when combatting the Serbian superstar.
Watching the two teams toggle schematic approaches mid-series and adjust rosters in the offseasons to better matchup with one another has produced an enthralling chess match. It’s created many memorable moments — which, at their core, is what rivalries are about.
Just as much as Pacers-Knicks was defined by Miller pouring in eight points in nine seconds and flashing a “choke” sign at Spike Lee at Madison Square Garden, Nuggets-Wolves is currently remembered for the Timberwolves’ 20-point second half comeback in Game 7, for Jaden McDaniels attempting a self alley-oop as the waning seconds ticked off the clock, for Edwards getting ejected on Christmas night after Jokic and Co. denied him victory despite his late-game heroics.
Those are what create narratives, memories and, yes, all-time rivalries.
And a few more will surely be added to the list over the next two weeks.