How Nikola Jokic triple-double, Jamal Murray free-throw outburst led Nuggets to Game 1 win over Timberwolves
Denver's two best players showed up for the team's first postseason game.
How Nikola Jokic triple-double, Jamal Murray free-throw outburst led Nuggets to Game 1 win over Timberwolves originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Denver Nuggets ' two stars were at their best to open the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
In a 116-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to open the teams' first-round series, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led the way for the third-seeded Nuggets, lifting their squad in the second half in front of their home crowd. Jokic, for the 22nd time in his career, put up a playoff triple-double despite a lackluster start in the matchup, while Murray consistently got to the free-throw line en route to a 30-point night. Here's a look at how the Nuggets' star duo paved the way to take a 1-0 series lead over the Timberwolves.
SN's NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule Nikola Jokic stats today Points: 25 Rebounds: 13 Assists: 11 Steals: 1 Blocks: 0 FG: 11-19 3PT: 2-7 FT: 1-1 In the early portion of Saturday's Game 1, it looked like the Timberwolves had a good gameplan for their series against the NBA's best stat-stuffing talent, Jokic. The star center, at one point in the first half, had four turnovers to just three points. But as the action picked up, Jokic did what he does best, leading the Nuggets' offense to a big third quarter (29-17) and packing a punch in the stat sheet as he did so.
Even with his slow start, Jokic wound up with a triple-double, the 22nd of his career in the playoffs. He had three in the Nuggets' 2024-25 run, two in 2023-24, and a whopping 10 triple-doubles on Denver's title run in 2022-23. After leading the NBA in assists this season, Jokic picked up where he left off with 11.