The Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 109-80, on Sunday night at Ball Arena in Game 1 of their Western Conference First Round Playoff Series. The Nuggets lead the series, 1-0.

The Nuggets (1-0) entered the game as heavy home favorites, but the Timberwolves (0-1) were very competitive during a first quarter from which they emerged with a manageable 26-23 deficit. However, the tide turned in the middle periods, as Denver outscored Minnesota by a 61-35 margin to set up the easy victory. The visitors shot only 37.0 percent and were outrebounded by a 54-38 margin.

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 18 points, adding five assists, two rebounds, two steals and one block. Jaylen Nowell delivered 12 points, two assists and one rebound. Karl-Anthony Towns generated an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double that included two assists. Kyle Anderson matched Towns' scoring and also produced three assists, one rebound, two steals and one block.

Jamal Murray paced the Nuggets with 24 points, complementing them with eight rebounds, eight assists and one block. Michael Porter contributed 18 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and one steal. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope supplied 15 points, four boards and one assist. Bruce Brown furnished 14 points, three boards, one assist and one block. Nikola Jokic managed a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double that included six assists and one steal. Aaron Gordon matched Jokic's scoring and also tallied five rebounds, one assist and one steal.

The two teams reconvene at Ball Arena for Game 2 on Tuesday night.