The Nuggets' season is over.
The Denver Nuggets' season has come to an end after a stunning 110-98 loss against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that was missing Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu.
The Nuggets scraped by with a one point lead at the end of the first quarter, but it was all Minnesota after that. The Timberwolves outscored the Nuggets in the second, third and fourth quarters to close out the victory and keep their season alive while sending the Nuggets' season to a premature end.
Nikola Jokic led the way for the Nuggets with a 28 point, nine rebound and 10 assist performance, but it wasn't enough amidst lackluster performances from the rest of the team outside of Cameron Johnson, who finished the game with 27 points on 8-15 shooting from the field.
Adelman's Impact
Throughout this season, the Nugget thrived despite constant injuries that threatened to devastate their season and David Adelman, in his first full season as a head coach after taking over as interim head coach Mike Malone the season before, had to constantly make adjustments to keep the team competitive.
Overall, Adelman guided the Nuggets to regular season success, finishing as the 3-seed in the stacked Western Conference, and despite the first-round exit and upset against the Timberwolves, Jokic maintained that Denver's poor performance doesn't fall on Adelman's shoulders and the blame should go to the players instead.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the second half during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images"It's not his fault that we couldn't rebound," Jokic said to the media. "There is nothing to blame for David Adelman. It was all us.
A first-round exit certainly isn't what the Nuggets were expecting out of this season, especially with the majority of the team healthy save for Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson. Losing the way they did to the Timberwolves is sure to prompt a swift reevaluation of the team and possibly, Adelman's role.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) seats on the bench before the second half begins against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Jesse Johnson-Imagn ImagesThe Future For the Nuggets
The details of Adelman's contract since he took over for Malone aren't public knowledge and it's not certain what his future with the team will be, but this kind of loss prompts investigation at all levels from team ownership.
Still, Adelman clearly has the respect of his players and there is only so much he can do from the sidelines while the team suffers losses on the court.
For now, the sting of a first-round exit will be shared equally between players and coaches and as for for the future direction of the franchise, that will be a conversation left for the future.