Troy Renck: Timberwolves don't like or respect Nuggets. And Denver seems fine with that.

Troy Renck, The Denver Post on Apr 25, 2026

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DENVER — The Stifle Tower.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ best defensive player, Frenchman Rudy Gobert, boasts a terrific nickname. And their second-best defender, Jaden McDaniels, is skilled at calling the Denver Nuggets’ names.

With a 2-1 lead in the series, it is clear the Timberwolves don’t like or respect the Nuggets.

Worse? The Nuggets seem fine with it.

With Minnesota viewing them as soft, the Nuggets hardly seem bothered by the criticism. They were cool with the Timberwolves expressing their feelings, living their truth. Then, they let the bullies steal their lunch money and pour milk over their heads.

It is no surprise the Nuggets are in big trouble. They are taking everything passively. The Timberwolves are taking everything personally.

I wrote a few weeks ago that the Nuggets need a bad guy to hold them accountable, to sharpen the edge. None has emerged. And Aaron Gordon, the leading candidate for the role, is hurt again.

Blame coach David Adelman if you want. He deserves criticism.

But there is a salient truth in sports: if the coach cares more than the players, fire-and-brimstone speeches don’t matter.

Most disturbing about the Game 3 blowout was not the who, but the how. We know the Timberwolves are capable of beating the Nuggets — they are 16-15 against them over their last 31 games.

When McDaniels popped off, teammates had his back. When the Nuggets learned a few hours before the game that Gordon was out, they capitulated. It was so unbecoming of a former champion.

It seems like 2023 was so long ago. That team played with a bag of Doritos on its shoulder, ticked off by every slight. These Nuggets continue to believe they can win with great offense. The problem? It is not realistic in the playoffs.

Look at the champions since the Nuggets parade. Boston and Oklahoma City played high-level D and were freakishly athletic. That is not Denver.

So when the Nuggets shoot poorly, they become an easy mark.

Nikola Jokic is having the worst playoff series of his career, shooting 12 for 32 and 4 for 14 from 3-point range when defended by Gobert, per ESPN.

Jamal Murray, who enjoyed his best regular season, looks spent when facing McDaniels. He has shot 35.9% from the field, while missing 21 of 27 3-point attempts. He drained zero in Games 1 and 3.

No one else has contributed in a meaningful way. Thursday, the Nuggets turned to Zeke Nnaji to provide an offensive spark. Read that sentence aloud and try not to laugh.

At one point in the second half, McDaniels delivered a thunderous dunk. Presented with a similar opportunity, Christian Braun had his shot blocked, and he pleaded with the refs for help.

Minnesota is playing with aggression. The Nuggets are playing the victim.

This series is not over. But if the Nuggets lose Game 4, it might as well be because there is zero evidence that Denver can beat Minnesota three straight times. Not when they are treating this series like a book club, and the Timberwolves are acting like it is a fight club.

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