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It was a pretty solid weekend of NBA Playoff picks for readers. We were able to get an easy win over the Magic team in Game 3 of their series against Detroit (Game 4 is tonight). We were also able to cash in on a ticket on the Thunder covering quite a number on the road against the Suns. Yesterday, the Cavs were in control until they did the typical Cleveland thing and blew the game late. It’s almost as if every sports team in Cleveland has decided to make the playoffs as unreliable as possible. Today, we’re going for a win, with the Timberwolves and Nuggets facing off in Game 5.
This has been a bit of a chippy series, but it almost feels like it’s exactly what the Timberwolves wanted. Minnesota has been the team that has called Denver on its defense, and they happily accept any kind of confrontation. Any team with Anthony Edwards on it will have some swagger, but it almost feels like the T-Wolves are being disrespectful to this contender. I guess it works considering the team is up 3-1 in the series.
Denver Nuggets PG Jamal Murray drives to the paint on Minnesota Timberwolves SG Anthony Edwards in Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 Western Conference Playoffs. (Abbie Parr/AP)
However, there is great cause for concern. The Timberwolves took a big hit last game, and I’m not talking about the push between Jaden McDaniels and Nikola Jokic. Their sharpshooter, Dante DiVincenzo, who was cited as a major reason they won Game 2, was lost for the season (and likely next season) after he tore his Achilles. Significantly worse, the Timberwolves also lost Edwards for a few weeks after he sprained his knee. If Minnesota needs one more game in this series to close it out, they will have to do it without Edwards.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards shoots over Denver Nuggets PG Jamal Murray in Game 3 of their first-round NBA playoff series at the Target Center in Minneapolis. (Abbie Parr/AP)
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The Nuggets don’t look like the one-time champion that you would expect. They prove that the Timberwolves are right in the assessment that their defense is garbage. In three consecutive games, they have given up over 112 points to their opponent, matching the season average. They also allowed just 96 points in both games in Minnesota. Rudy Gobert, the much-maligned center for the Timberwolves, does a good job of limiting Jokic’s success. We’ll have to see if Jokic can figure out Rudy’s defensive effort.
Nuggets vs Timberwolves Game 3 picks hinge on Jaden McDaniels calling the entire Denver defense
Aaron Gordon is back in Denver, but it looks like he’s still struggling. He played just 23 minutes and put up just nine points on 11 field goal attempts. Overall, the team shot just 21% from deep in this game. I have to imagine it is improving. The team shot nearly 40% from deep in the regular season, but they are shooting 28% overall in the series. That’s still better than what they showed in Game 4.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic reacts during overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Dec. 25, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
Much of the story in Game 4 was about the ending. It’s a silly tale, but it pops up every now and then. The game was essentially over — the Timberwolves had the ball with seconds left, threw it down the court, and instead of dribbling it out, McDaniels went in for a layup. Jokic took exception to that and there were some minor pushes. No one ended up being suspended, but there were some fines.
Missing in that was the impressive play of Ayo Dosunmu of the Timberwolves. He was acquired at the trade deadline from the Bulls and gave Minnesota a career performance. Dosunmo scored 43 points in that game, but I wouldn’t expect that success to continue. He is listed at 19.5 points tonight and I like under. He is still a bit of a role player, and even if he gets an increased role, there will be neither a home run nor an element of surprise. Julius Randle will have to take over the bulk of the scoring duties and I think he is more likely to go over 21.5 points. I’ll play both of those options tonight as Denver looks to extend the streak.
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