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It was a pretty solid weekend of NBA playoff picks for readers. We managed to pull out an easy victory on the Magic team total in Game 3 of their series against Detroit (Game 4 is tonight). We were also able to cash a ticket on the Thunder covering a fairly large 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 looking for a win with the Timberwolves and Nuggets facing off in Game 5.
It’s been a bit of a rocky series, but it almost feels like that’s precisely what the Timberwolves wanted. Minnesota has been the team that has called Denver out on their defense, and they happily accept any sort of confrontation. Any team with Anthony Edwards will show some swagger, but it almost makes it seem like the T-Wolves are disrespecting this challenger. I guess it works, considering the team leads 3-1 in the series.
Denver Nuggets PG Jamal Murray heads to the paint against Minnesota Timberwolves SG Anthony Edwards in Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 Western Conference playoffs. (Abbie Parr/AP)
There is, however, one major source of concern. The Timberwolves took a big hit last game, and I’m not talking about the scramble between Jaden McDaniels and Nikola Jokic. Their sharpshooter, Dante DiVincenzo, who was cited as one of the main reasons they won Game 2, was lost for the season (and likely next season) after tearing his Achilles tendon. Even worse, the Timberwolves also lost Edwards for a few weeks after hyperextending his knee. If Minnesota wants to get one more game in this series to close out the series, they have to do it without Edwards.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards shoots over Denver Nuggets PG Jamal Murray during Game 3 of their NBA first-round playoff series at Target Center in Minneapolis. (Abbie Parr/AP)
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The Nuggets don’t look like the one-and-done champion you might expect. They prove the Timberwolves right by saying their defense is trash. In three consecutive games, they have allowed more than 112 points to their opponent, which is the season average. They also only scored 96 points in the two games at Minnesota. Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves’ much-maligned center, does an excellent job of limiting Jokic’s success. We’ll have to see if Jokic can understand Rudy’s defensive efforts.
Nuggets’ Game 3 pick against Timberwolves rests on Jaden McDaniels calling Denver’s entire defense
Aaron Gordon is back for Denver, but it appears he’s still struggling. He played just 23 minutes and scored just nine points on 11 field goal attempts. Overall, the team shot just 21% from deep in this game. I have to imagine it gets better. The team shot nearly 40% from deep during the regular season, but is shooting 28% overall in the series. It’s still better than what they showed in Game 4.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic reacts in overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on December 25, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
Much of the story in Game 4 was about the ending. It’s a stupid story, but it comes up from time to time. The game was essentially over: The Timberwolves had the ball with seconds left, threw it up the court and rather than dribble it, McDaniels went for a layup. Jokic objected and there was some minor shoving. No one was ultimately suspended, but there were a few fines.
Timberwolves’ Ayo Dosunmu’s impressive game was missed. He was acquired at the trade deadline by the Bulls and gave Minnesota a career performance. Dosunmo scored 43 points in this game, but I wouldn’t expect that success to continue. He’s listed at 19.5 points tonight, and I like the under. He still plays a bit of a role, and while he will have an increased role, there won’t be any plot or element of surprise. Julius Randle will have to shoulder the bulk of the scoring duties, and I think he’s more likely to top out at 21.5 points. I’ll play both of these options tonight as Denver looks to extend the series.
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