Can the Minnesota Timberwolves somehow stop the Denver Nuggernauts?

Timberwolves play best in the most adverse conditions

In the short-handed victory in early January 2023, the Timberwolves competed without D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Naz Reid, Taurean Prince, and Jordan McLaughlin. The Timberwolves are still without Reid and are also without Jaden McDaniels, but the remaining players have returned. There is still hope for the Timberwolves to turn this series around. If the Wolves can claim a win in Game 2, they return to Minnesota with the best of seven series knotted up at 1-1.

That’s admittedly a big “IF,” as Denver appeared to be unstoppable in that first game.

But the Timberwolves did defeat the Nuggets by a similarly lopsided score of 128-98 on February 5, 2023, only to fall to the Nuggets two days later by a score of 146-112. It does fall to reason that if the Nuggets can rebound so dramatically, the possibility exists for the Timberwolves to do so as well.

There is no try, there is only do, or do not . . .

What is the best way to stop these “Nuggernauts,” after a thrashing? Show up, defend the basketball court, and score points. In the end, the Timberwolves simply need to do what they’ve done against the odds all season.

In the meantime, over the next two days, the Wolves hope that the back spasms that have plagued Rudy Gobert since the New Orleans Pelicans game subside. The team is also hopeful that Anthony Edwards heals from the myriad of bumps and bruises that he has endured of late. The Timberwolves’ defensive assignments did little to slow down Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic, and practically neutralized KAT’s offense. I would look for the Timberwolves to try a new defensive strategy.

But whatever the tone was in the locker room before Game 1, the lopsided loss has to have raised the stakes for the Timberwolves roster to answer back. Let’s see if that happens.