By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, open with a titanic clash in the Western Conference as the third-seeded Denver Nuggets prepare to host the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves for Game 1 this Saturday at Ball Arena. This first-round series reignites one of the league’s most physical rivalries, centered on the perennial battle between two of the game’s premier big men, Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert.
“Probably gotta call God and talk to him for a little bit and ask him for a few favors,” Timberwolves forward Julius Randle joked when asked about the daunting task of containing the three-time season MVP. “It’s going to be a tough matchup. He’s an incredible player. He’s done so much on the floor for that team. It’s going to be a battle, but we’re prepared. We’re ready for it”.
The Wolves enter the postseason fueled by a collective belief that they can unseat the Nuggets. “When our group doesn’t have a choice, usually it shows up, and so once again it’s all in our hands. It’s all in our power,” said Gobert, the 33-year-old French center and defensive anchor.
“We’re facing a great opponent, and we know that if we don’t come out hungry, we don’t have a chance. We’ve seen them many, many times. We know how good they are,” he added. “We believe in who we are. We believe in our goal to win a championship. It’s the greatest test for what we dream of, one of the best in the league”.
While the NBA head-to-head history between Jokic and Gobert spans 50 total meetings, with the Joker holding an 11–7 advantage in the Playoffs, Gobert emphasized that the strategy must be comprehensive. “It’s really about trying to slow him down as much as we can, but we try to stop the Denver Nuggets, trying to limit them as a team”.