POSTGAME NOTES
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 113 (2-1), DENVER NUGGETS 96 (1-2)
April 23, 2026
Timberwolves Notes
Player Notes
• Ayo Dosunmu led the way for the Timberwolves tonight with a team-high and playoff career-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, and a game-high and playoff career-high nine assists, marking his first career playoff 20+ point game. Dosunmu is the first player in franchise history to come off the bench in a playoff game and record 25+ points and 5+ assists and the first player in the NBA to do so since May 2, 2022 (Tyler Herro: 25 points and seven assists).
• Dosunmu’s 25 points set a franchise playoff-high for points off the bench and he has now tallied 46 points off the bench through the first three games of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the most points off the bench in a three-game playoff span in franchise history.
• Jaden McDaniels ended the night with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 10 rebounds, marking his first 20+ point game of this year’s playoffs (10th career) and his first career playoff game with 20+ points/10+ rebounds. McDaniels becomes the eighth player in franchise history to record 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in a playoff game.
• Playing in his 40th career playoff game, McDaniels has now tallied 56 made three-pointers and 43 blocked shots, joining Kevin Durant, Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki as the only players in NBA history to amass 55+ made threes and 42+ blocked shots in their first 40 career playoff games.
• Rudy Gobert finished with 10 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, and a game-high three blocks, marking his 18th career playoff game with 10+ points/10+ rebounds/2+ blocks and his fourth such game with the Timberwolves, tied with Karl-Anthony Towns for the second-most playoff games in franchise history with 10+ points/10+ rebounds/2+ blocks.
• Anthony Edwards added 17 points, knocking down two shots from deep and five rebounds. Edwards has now made a three-pointer in all 21 home playoff games of his career, tied for the fifth-longest streak to begin a player’s home playoff career in NBA history.
Team Notes
• Minnesota never trailed in tonight’s game, marking the fifth playoff game in franchise history in which the Wolves won wire-to-wire, the second such game against the Nuggets (April 30, 2004; Game 5 – 102-91) and the third consecutive postseason in which Minnesota has recorded a wire-to-wire win.
• Minnesota ended the night with a franchise playoff record 68 points in the paint. The Wolves 68-34 (+34) advantage down low was the largest in franchise playoff history.
• The Wolves held the Nuggets to just 11 points on 14.3% shooting (3-of-21) in the first quarter, the fewest first quarter points given up in a playoff game in franchise history and the fourth fewest given up in any playoff quarter in franchise history and Denver’s 14.3% shooting percentage was the lowest by any Wolves opponent in a single quarter in franchise playoff history.
• Minnesota finished the night shooting 47.8% (44-92) from the field in tonight’s win and have now shot at least 45.0% from the field in 11 consecutive games against Denver (regular season and playoffs), marking the Wolves longest active streak against any opponent and the longest active streak by any team against the Nuggets.
• Led by Dosunmu’s nine assists, Minnesota finished the night with 31 assists, the second consecutive playoff game with 30+ assists, marking only the second time in franchise playoff history they have strung together two games with 30+ assists (May 24, 2025 vs. Oklahoma City: 30 assists and May 26, 2025 vs. Oklahoma City: 30 assists). The 31 assists are the most dimes in a Game 3 in Timberwolves history (previous high: 2x; MR: May 24, 2025 vs. Oklahoma City).
(info courtesy of Timberwolves)
