Denver Nuggets Sit Multiple Starters Against Minnesota Timberwolves

The Denver Nuggets elected to rest their starters on the second leg of a back-to-back on Sunday night, conceding a 128-98 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, and Aaron Gordon were all given the night off following Saturday's 128-108 decimation of the Atlanta Hawks.

Starting 🖐#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/S4Kpm5c5sO
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) February 5, 2023

Of the Nuggets' top five scorers, only Michael Porter Jr. played on Sunday night; he led the team tonight with 22 points on 7-16 shooting. Porter Jr. has already missed 17 games this season, so it made sense to leave him out on the court in order for him to build up some momentum.

Following tonight's loss, the Nuggets are 37-17 and remain first in the Western Conference. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic remains one of the NBA's dominant forces, averaging a triple-double for the season (24.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 10.1 apg) while leading all players in player efficiency rating (32.0), win share (10.3), and box plus/minus (13.2). With each passing game, he appears likelier and likelier to win a third-straight MVP. A win in the NBA Finals could cement his season as one of the very greatest of all time.

The Nuggets' starters will have a chance to get back on track with a rematch against the Timberwolves in Denver on Tuesday night.