Anthony Edwards was asked at Minnesota's Wednesday practice about this rivalry, and he made his thoughts crystal clear.
There is extensive history between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets headed into this first-round playoff matchup. And it really comes down to something pretty simple for Anthony Edwards. He knows exactly what this is.
When a reporter asked him Wednesday at practice whether he'd call it a rivalry between the Wolves and Nuggets, Edwards didn't overthink it. "Yeah, for sure," Edwards said. "I don't think there's anything else to call it but a rivalry."
He's right. The two teams have played 17 postseason games against each other, with outcomes swinging back and forth in as dramatic a fashion as you can draw up. Denver knocked Minnesota out in the first round in 2023 on their way to a championship, before calling it their toughest postseason series.
The Wolves came back in 2024 and completed the biggest Game 7 comeback in NBA playoff history to eliminate the defending champions. They didn't meet in the 2025 playoffs, but Minnesota won all four regular season matchups that year.
Dec 25, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shoots the ball against Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown (11) and guard Peyton Watson (8) during the first half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesThree Times in Four Years, and It's Personal
Then this past Christmas Day, Jokic dropped a 56-point triple-double in a 142-138 overtime win, with Edwards answering with 44 of his own. One of the best regular season games anyone played all year.
When the dust settled on this season, Denver had taken the series 3-1. Now they're back at it in the first round, for the third time in four years. The Nuggets finished 54-28 and are riding a 12-game winning streak into the postseason. Minnesota comes in as the sixth seed at 49-33.
On paper Denver has every advantage with their depth and recent hot streak. But this group has heard that before, and Edwards has been the driving force behind two straight conference finals runs that nobody predicted. Minnesota was pretty big underdogs in their first-round series the last two years now.
Edwards Knows The Rivalry is Real
A follow-up question asked whether Edwards thought the matchup was good for the league given how few true rivalries seem to exist anymore. Edwards pushed back on the premise. "I think it's a lot of rivalries in the league now," Edwards said. "And I think me and Denver is one of them."
Wolves fans have to love seeing him lean into this. Edwards isn't just talking about two teams that keep meeting in the playoffs. He's talking about a genuine competitive edge that has built between these rosters over years of high-stakes basketball. The kind of thing that has players locked in before the series even tips off.
Game 1 tips off Saturday in Denver, and if the last few years are any indication, this series is going to earn that rivalry label all over again.