On Saturday night (7:00 CST), the Minnesota Timberwolves will play host to the Denver Nuggets. This has been one of the marquee matchups across the NBA since their classic 2024 playoff series. The Wolves swept the Nuggets last season, two games went down to the wire, including a double overtime thriller in early April.
However, Minnesota is already down 0-1 in the season series thus far. The Wolves' loss on October 27 did come without Anthony Edwards, though. Unfortunately, the Nuggets might be without their star player, Nikola Jokic, this time around.
11/15: Timberwolves full injury report vs. Nuggets
- Donte DiVincenzo (face mask) - AVAILABLE
- Terrence Shannon Jr. (foot) - OUT
- Enrique Freeman (two-way) - OUT
- Rocco Zikarsky (two-way) - OUT
To nobody's surprise, Donte DiVincenzo remains available after he suffered a broken nose. DiVincenzo has missed no time with this injury, which he suffered two weeks ago.
It's worth noting that Jaden McDaniels isn't on the injury report. McDaniels briefly left Friday's game with a groin injury. While he did return to the game, it was fair to wonder if McDaniels would have some sort of designation even if he did play. Thankfully, he has the full green light.
McDaniels will be vital, serving as the primary defender on Jamal Murray and giving the Wolves some extra scoring. The 6-foot-9 forward played in 82 games last season and is hoping to do so again despite a scare on Friday.
Terrence Shannon Jr. will miss his sixth straight game with a foot injury. On Friday, it was announced that TSJ will be re-evaluated in a week, meaning we won't see him for at least six days. Jaylen Clark will continue to earn rotational minutes in Shannon's absence.
11/15: Nuggets full injury report vs. Timberwolves
- Nikola Jokic (wrist) - AVAILABLE
- Julian Strawther (back) - AVAILABLE
- Christian Braun (ankle) - OUT
- Cameron Johnson (bicep strain) - OUT
- DaRon Holmes (G League assignment) - OUT
- Curtis Jones (two-way) - OUT
- Tamar Bates (two-way) - OUT
The Nuggets have a fairly hefty injury report ahead of Saturday's showdown. On Friday, it was announced that Christian Braun is set to be re-evaluated in six weeks with an ankle sprain. Undoubtedly, the Nuggets will miss the starting shooting guard's well-rounded impact. Expect more minutes from Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Peyton Watson in the meantime.
Cameron Johnson, who was one of Denver's prized offseason additions, is also out. However, it doesn't look to be a serious injury.
Of course, the big storyline, though, is Jokic's status. The three-time MVP made an appearance on Denver's injury report on Friday as he was questionable with a wrist ailment. However, less than an hour before tip-off, Jokic was upgraded to available.
Jokic is coming off a 55-point outing against the LA Clippers on Wednesday, so it was certainly a surprise to see him pop up on the injury report in first place. Regardless, he is ready to play ahead of this thrilling showdown. Rudy Gobert defends Jokic as well as anyone in the league, so it should be interesting to see another chapter of this matchup.