According to BD Cricket Live, the Western Conference semifinals are officially set, with the defending champion Denver Nuggets preparing to face the surging Minnesota Timberwolves. After the Suns and Lakers were eliminated, anticipation is building for this rematch of last year’s first-round series, where Denver dispatched Minnesota with relative ease. But this season tells a different story—while the Nuggets needed five games to get past the Lakers, the Timberwolves swept the Suns, sparking a wave of intrigue and optimism.
Minnesota’s defense has been the league’s most formidable this year. Their dominance isn’t limited to rim protection—on the perimeter, they’re just as lethal. Denver leans heavily on Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. to spark their offense. Without Murray’s two buzzer-beaters and Porter’s clutch three-point shooting, the Nuggets might not have survived the first round. They’ve grown used to relying on individual brilliance to mask systemic issues.
Unlike the Lakers, whose perimeter defense was soft, the Timberwolves boast an elite trio in Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley, and Jaden McDaniels. In the first round, they neutralized Phoenix’s star trio. Bradley Beal shot just 44%, while Devin Booker and Kevin Durant combined for 5.5 turnovers per game—proof of Minnesota’s suffocating perimeter coverage.
If any team can give Nikola Jokic trouble inside, it’s Minnesota. They’ve got depth and variety in the paint, with Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid all bringing different looks. Their likely strategy? Force Jokic into isolation scoring and deny him playmaking opportunities. The more Denver relies on Jokic’s solo efforts, the less dangerous their offensive flow becomes. Over the course of a long series, the physical toll from Minnesota’s interior defense could start to wear him down.
On the other end, Anthony Edwards has taken a giant leap forward. Against the Suns, he delivered a series of dominant, MVP-caliber performances. BD Cricket Live analysts note that Edwards now presents a nightmare matchup for Denver’s backcourt. His all-around game—defensively and offensively—easily outpaces what Murray brings to the table.
Last season, the Timberwolves fell to the Nuggets, but they showed promise despite the defeat. That series helped shape this year’s stronger, more confident version of the team. Denver, meanwhile, has taken a step back in terms of depth. Key rotational players like Jeff Green and Bruce Brown are gone, and the bench now lacks the two-way stability it once had.
Minnesota, by contrast, has improved across the board—from chemistry to individual growth. Where last year’s squad entered the playoffs as the eighth seed with shaky confidence, this season they carried themselves like contenders, even briefly holding the No. 1 spot in the West before finishing third. Their sweep of the Suns further solidified their belief that they can beat anyone.
BD Cricket Live observes a clear shift: the Timberwolves are no longer just potential spoilers—they’re real title threats. With belief surging throughout the locker room, they’re not just aiming to survive—they’re gunning for glory. For Jokic and the Nuggets, that means the path to repeating as champions just got a lot steeper.