DENVER — Ten minutes into Saturday’s playoff opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets were in a bad spot. Minnesota had controlled the first quarter on the road, forcing tough shots and miscues while limiting three-time MVP Nikola Jokić to three points and three turnovers. And Aaron Gordon — the 6-foot-8 spark plug who was a difference-maker in Denver’s 2023 championship run — was suddenly unavailable.

Gordon picked up his third foul while swinging his elbows and displacing Mike Conley on a post-up. Head coach David Adelman protested in frustration and picked up a technical foul.The Nuggets went into the second quarter in a 33-23 hole and Gordon relegated to the bench. It was a make-or-break moment early in the game and the series that could have spiraled out of control.Nuggets lean on shorthanded experienceIt was also a familiar spot for these Nuggets, whose 2025-26 season has been plagued by a litany of injuries to key players.

Gordon (46 missed games), Christian Braun (38), Cameron Johnson (28) and Jokić (17) all faced extended absences throughout the season. This is a team that battled to the No. 3 seed in a loaded West despite those absences and learned how to play with — or without — each other depending on who was in the lineup on any given night. So Gordon going to bench in early foul trouble?

That was no big deal. The Nuggets have plenty of this kind of experience. And there was no downward spiral for Denver. The Nuggets instead chipped away at their early deficit and eventually took control in a 116-105 win.

With Gordon sitting for the entire second quarter and Jokić continuing to struggle on offense (six points, four turnovers in the first half), Denver’s offense exploded in the stanza to the tune of a 39-29 advantage to send the game into halftime tied at 62-62.Nuggets starters Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson are all back after missing significant time during the regular season.AAron Ontiveroz via Getty ImagesJamal Murray, the steady Nuggets handJamal Murray, who played 75 games and was the tie that bound Denver’s fluctuating lineups throughout the season, righted the ship. Murray paced the Nuggets with 17 first-half points, largely by getting to the line and converting all 11 of his first-half free throws.It was was a critical contribution from the first-time All-Star, who just wrapped the best season of his regular-season career as the only consistent force in Denver’s starting lineup.

And it allowed the Nuggets to steady themselves before taking control in the third quarter.“I’m always comfortable,” Murray said after the game about playing with different lineups this season. “It just matters who’s in the game for defense and our rotations, guys in and out of different roles, guys trying to get their rhythm because they haven’t played for a while.“I don’t think that has anything to do with me. I just go out there and play, and whoever’s in the game is in the game. … After that I just hoop.

I try not to overthink.”Hoop he did on Saturday en route to a game-high 30 points along with seven assists. And he did it despite his own offensive struggles while shooting 0 of 8 from 3. This Jamal Murray finish is WILD.He's got a game-high 19 in Denver's playoff opener! pic.twitter.com/FAkHUvwgIp— NBA (@NBA) April 18, 2026Instead, Murray put pressure on his defenders, attacked the basket and got to the free-throw line 16 times, anchoring a night in which the Nuggets shot 30 of 33 (90.9%) from the stripe.

Their success at the line allowed the Nuggets to overcome a 1-of-17 effort from long distance in the second half. Gordon, Jokić get right after halftimeMurray’s steady second-quarter hand set the table for Gordon and Jokić to pace a third quarter that allowed the Nuggets to take control. Jokić opened the third with a layup to continue Denver’s momentum from the second quarter.

It set the tone for a 14-0 Nuggets run that allowed them to take an 82-68 lead. Gordon, free from his foul-induced shackles of the first half, capped that run with a put-back dunk that sent the Denver crowd into a frenzy. AARON GORDON CLEANS UP THE MISS.14-0 NUGGETS RUN.GAME 1 PANDEMONIUM IN DENVER. pic.twitter.com/8PPu2sE8jV— NBA (@NBA) April 18, 2026The game wasn’t over at that point.

In part because of Denver’s struggles from 3, the Timberwolves cut the deficit to 97-95 midway through the fourth quarter. But Jokić quelled the Minnesota rally with a 5-0 run of his own that featured an and-1 layup over Rudy Gobert, who was the source of much of his first-half frustration.MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE pic.twitter.com/ukf75HJ5An— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 18, 2026When the game was done, Jokić finished where he generally does, posting a 25-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist triple-double. Gordon tallied 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists after being limited to just 10 first-half minutes. And the Nuggets held a 1-0 series lead.“We know what this is,” Nuggets coach Davi