The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves meet Thursday night in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series, with the matchup shifting to Target Center in Minneapolis after the teams split the first two games in Denver. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
Denver opened the series with a 116-105 victory in Game 1, but Minnesota answered with a 119-114 win in Game 2 to even the series and make the next two games matter even more. The Timberwolves are listed at +115 on the moneyline, while the Nuggets are -140.
There is also a notable absence for Denver. Aaron Gordon will miss Game 3 with a calf strain, a loss that changes the shape of a series that has already swung once in each building where it has been played. The Nuggets now face the task of trying to take control on the road without one of their key pieces.
The schedule leaves little room to settle in. Game 4 is set for Saturday, April 25, in Minnesota at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, followed by Game 5 in Denver on Monday, April 27. If needed, Game 6 would be Thursday, April 30, in Minnesota, and Game 7 would be Saturday, May 2, in Denver.
That makes Thursday's game more than another stop in a long series. With the first two games split, the Nuggets need to hold serve without Gordon, while Minnesota has the chance to push the pressure back onto Denver before the series returns to the Mile High City.