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DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 18: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves warms up prior to playing the Denver Nuggets in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost Game 1 of their first-round playoff series to the Denver Nuggets, while star player Anthony Edwards continues to work back from a knee injury.

Edwards was questionable for that first game due to the knee injury, and while he did end up playing, scoring just 22 points, he is once again questionable in the lead-up to Game 2 on Monday night.

However, while the Timberwolves did lose the first matchup of the series against the Nuggets, history shows that they have a strong chance of evening the series after the second game.

Timberwolves Get Good News For Game 2 of Playoffs vs Nuggets

First shared by Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, the Nuggets hold just a 1-4 record in their last five playoff Game 2’s.

“The Nuggets are 8-1 in Game 1s dating back to 2023,” he wrote after Denver’s opening game win of the series. “They’re also 1-4 in their last five Game 2s, the only win requiring a 20-point second half comeback at home and a buzzer beater.”

While the Nuggets have a stellar history in recent Game 1’s, the stat about their performance in the following matchup could be seen as a bit nit-picky. Durando’s stat only includes their last five series, which doesn’t take into account the opening rounds of the 2023 Playoffs, where they went on to win the title.

However, in the past two seasons, Denver has only one Game 2 once, and while they looked strong against the Timberwolves to begin the series, Minnesota has a chance to bounce back with recent history on their side.

According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, despite the loss, the Timberwolves still have a lot of hope.

Anthony Edwards Injury Update For Game 2

Any chance Minnesota has of winning this series relies heavily on Edwards being healthy, which right now, is not the case. 

The star has been dealing with a knee injury for over a month, and while he did suit up for Game 1, he and his team said the 24-year-old was noticeably not himself.

“I felt good,” Edwards said. “I mean, a little fatigued. I haven’t played in like a month, a month and a half, so a little fatigued. But that was expected. Other than that, I felt good.”

Head coach Chris Finch added that this is the first time he’s seen Edwards not at full strength.

“This is the first year that I’ve ever seen anything different where he’s been frustrated by not feeling 100 percent,” Finch said. “He’s always played through little injuries, but I think this one, more than ever, felt it impinged the way he was able to play.”

Edwards did have 22 points, but went 7/19 from the field and 2/9 from three-point range. As both he and Finch said, perhaps conditioning had something to due with his relative off-night in Game 1.

“I thought he got tired in the third [quarter]; it’s why I pulled him a little bit earlier,” Finch added postgame. “He had some good looks throughout the game. The touch maybe wasn’t there. It wasn’t the Ant we’re used to seeing, but it was as expected in terms of where he is in trying to find his rhythm.”

Edwards is questionable for Game 2, but there is the expectation that, like on Saturday, he will play on Monday night. Still, he has yet to get back to 100%, and until he does, it’ll be an uphill battle for the Timberwolves going forward.

He is the only player listed on their injury report, while the Nuggets will be without Peyton Watson.

With recent history on their side, the Timberwolves face the Nuggets in Game 2 on Monday, April 20, at 9:30 pm CST and live on NBC/Peacock.