After starting the season 4-0 and barely trailing at all through four games, the Denver Nuggets looked like a team that had forgotten how to play basketball altogether to start their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves jumped out to a 9-0 lead, and they had the Nuggets reeling less than four minutes into the game. Denver was struggling to take care of the ball, and no one other than Nikola Jokic was bringing the team any semblance of consistent offense. The Nuggets steadily clawed their way back into the game, but they were still trailing 28-21 at the end of the first period despite 13 points from the two-time MVP.
In the second quarter, the second unit started the period with some energy, but they were running into a consistent issue due to the lack of size on that unit compared to the Timberwolves. Minnesota often had at least one if not two centers on the floor with Naz Reid coming off of the bench, and the Nuggets were playing with Zeke Nnaji and Peyton Watson as their defenders inside. Denver was struggling to get rebounds to end or extend possessions, and Minnesota was making them pay with a 10-point lead midway through the second. With just under four minutes remaining in the half, Murray’s struggles would not relent with the Nuggets trailing by 16. He had a chance to hit a free throw after a technical foul was called on Anthony Edwards, but he missed as the team’s struggles continued. Denver’s deficit ballooned to 18 with just over three minutes following a huge dunk by Edwards, and the Nuggets’ hopes were fading fast. The Timberwolves had gone on a 14-0 run over a three-minute span, and the Nuggets were floundering and searching for any sort of offense. They had been called for four more fouls, and they had committed four more turnovers while failing to break even the 40-point mark with under a minute remaining in the half. Murray got his first two points of the night at the charity stripe, and the Nuggets cut the lead to 19 on a triple by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Jokic got another bucket to go in the final 20 seconds, and the Nuggets trailed 63-44 at the end of the half.
To start the second half, the two teams traded baskets before the Timberwolves knocked down a triple. However, Murray’s offensive struggles continued with another missed shot from the charity stripe. Minnesota was struggling to miss, but Murray finally got his first shots from the floor to fall to bring the Nuggets within 16. Murray’s flurry of scoring had gotten the Nuggets back to within 14, but Denver couldn’t buy a break on either end of the floor. Calls continued to go against them on each end, and Denver was trailing by 20 again with 2 minutes remaining in the quarter. Denver’s second unit was able to do a little bit of damage at the end of the period, but, if Denver, was planning on coming back, it was going to be a very uphill battle with the team trailing 89-72 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets started the fourth quarter with a little bit of a back-and-forth, but there just wasn’t much that they could do in this one. Minnesota just continued to stretch their lead, and the Nuggets eventually called off the comeback attempt with around six minutes left in the game. A quiet first half from Murray combined with a nearly silent night from the remainder of the roster doomed Denver from the jump in this one. Murray and Jokic combined for 39 points, and the other three starters combined for 15 points. The final result was decided, but the final score was yet to be decided with both teams completely emptying their benches. Denver’s undefeated season had come to an end, and it was never particularly close with the Timberwolves ultimately taking the win 110-89.
