*This post originally appears on Denver Stiffs, the longest running Denver Nuggets fan site in existence and part of the Mile High Sports Network. Head over to DenverStiffs.com to join in on the conversation on today’s game and all things Nuggets with your fellow Nuggets superfans! The Denver Nuggets have returned to Minneapolis one last time this season to face the Minnesota Timberwolves. At stake? A trip back to Denver for a deciding game 7…or the end of their season tonight. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and company put together their most complete game of the series in game five to extend the series but still need two more wins to pull of the comeback. The Wolves meanwhile hobble back home with two more guards (Ayo Dosunmo & Bones Hyland) joining Donte Divincenzo and Anthony Edwards on the injured list. Minnesota will be looking to their role players to once again step up big at home.

The Basics

Who: Denver Nuggets (2-3) at Minnesota Timberwolves (3-2) When: 7:30PM MDT Where: The Place Where Budgets Go To Die…Center. Minneapolis, MN. How to watch/listen: ESPN & Altitude Radio 92.5FM. Rival Blog: Canis Hoopus

The Matchup

Position Nuggets Wolves Advantage
PG Jamal Murray Mike Conley Nuggets
SG Christian Braun Ayo Dosunmo Even
SF Cam Johnson Bozo the Clown Nuggets
PF Spencer Jones Julius Randle Wolves
C Nikola Jokic Rudy Gobert Nuggets
Bench Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther Naz Reid, Bones Hyland, Kyle Anderson, Terrance Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark Even
Injury report: Aaron Gordon – questionable (calf), Peyton Watson – out (hamstring); Ayo Dosunmo – questionable (calf). Bones Hyland – questionable (knee), Donte Divincenzo – out (achilles), Anthony Edwards – out (knee).

The Three Things

The thing to watch for: Wolves role players
Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu (13) celebrates with fans after making a three-point shot against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Role players always play better at home in the playoffs. There’s been no bigger example of this than Ayo Dosunmo who has obliterated the Nuggets in Minnesota and looked like an average role player in Denver. The Wolves are bereft of stars given the injuries. The Nuggets will only lose this game if they are unable to contain an otherwise unheralded player from going off. If Bones or Ayo is out that’s one more possibility off the board but if either plays they have shown they can have big games, Rudy Gobert is capable of putting up 20+ on offense. I mean, Denver had a Spencer Jones game in game 5, for all we know we’re about to get the Terrance Shannon Jr. game. Nuggets can’t let that happen if they want to go to game seven. Let Julius Randle get his, some other guys are going to hit some threes, but no 40+ point nights off of Minnesota’s bench please. The thing to remember: F*ck this team
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Nah man, we’re not doing this. Not with this team. The Minnesota Timberwolves should rename themselves to the Minnesota Dirty Crying Clowns. It’s been one ridiculous statement or action after another from this team. They’re led by a clown in Anthony Edwards who is doing everything he can to avoid paying child support, their coach can’t go one day without crying about officiating while being completely obtuse about his own team’s physical style of play and then there’s Jaden McDaniels. His best skill on the court is shoving guys in the back and his best skill off the court is punching walls. I will not entertain the idea of losing to this team tonight and the Nuggets should not either. Denver is clearly the better team, they are clearly the team of higher character, they are clearly the more respectable group. No one wants to watch the Wolves lose in four to Wemby which is the max Minnesota can accomplish. Even with Edwards, this never has been team was built by a guy who left Denver, traded four first round picks for a center who can’t shoot and then downgraded his power forward the next season. They’ve got no hope. The Wolves are a playoff fodder team at best, always have been and always will be. It shouldn’t change tonight either. The thing to bet: Jamal Murray over 26.5 points (-102) We really haven’t had a Jamal game yet. He’s had some flashes but we’re still waiting to see a true breakout game. Part of that is he’s a main focus of Minnesota’s defense, but also part of it has just been Denver’s struggled to score. They started breaking out of their shell in game five with three players scoring over twenty points, including Jamal. I like the chances of him hitting twenty-seven points tonight, the Nuggets are going to need their stars to carry them on the road.