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Nuggets-Timberwolves Preview

Dec 15, 2015 - 7:23 AM Beating the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second time in five days would match Denver's longest win streak of the season and continue its recent turnaround.

The Nuggets go for another big offensive showing Tuesday night while trying to make things easier on themselves against the struggling Timberwolves.

Denver (10-14) has followed a season-worst eight-game slide with four wins in five games, averaging 109.8 points in the victories - 12.3 more than its season average.

The Nuggets were dealt a significant blow Friday against Minnesota (9-14), losing starting guard Emmanuel Mudiay to a right ankle sprain in the second quarter. However, they erased an 18-point, second-half deficit to beat the Wolves 111-108 in overtime.

They overcame another absence from Mudiay on Monday, holding on for a 114-108 victory over Houston. While it's unclear when Mudiay will return, the Nuggets shot 51.2 percent and improved to 10-3 when scoring 100 points.

"For us 100 is the magic number," said coach Mike Malone, whose team won three in a row from Nov. 9-13 with an average of 106.0 points. "When we get up to that number we're a pretty effective team."

"The challenge for us is to stay hungry. We play Minnesota again who we just played. They're going to want revenge in their building."

Will Barton led six players in double figures with 23 points, but his most memorable moment came when he tossed Trevor Ariza's shoe off the court to earn a delay-of-game technical right before the Rockets came from 15 down to make it a two-point game.

"That's how the game goes sometimes: Might have to make a 3-pointer - or throw somebody's shoe in the crowd," Barton said, grinning.

The Wolves are showing few signs they can stop anyone, surrendering an average of 109.0 points during a 1-6 stretch following a season-best three-game winning streak. They had a season-high 25 turnovers while losing 108-101 at Phoenix on Sunday.

"Little mental mistakes, defensive mistakes, bad shots sometimes determines the game," guard Zach LaVine said. "That's the frustrating part because we know how good we can be. We've been in every game. Not everybody can say that.

"We've been losing some games but we definitely should've won."

LaVine could certainly help the cause with some more steady play. He scored 28 points against the Suns while hitting 10 of 19 from the floor after averaging 12.2 and shooting 33.3 percent, including 4 of 18 from beyond the arc, over the previous five games. He had 12 points at Denver on Friday, giving him an average of 7.5 in six career meetings.

"The main thing is just being consistent. That's the hardest thing about being in this league," LaVine said. "That separates the great players from the average one or the All-Stars from the great ones is consistency. Once you get that down, you're unstoppable."

It hasn't been too much of a challenge in the series for Andrew Wiggins, who's averaging 22.2 points over six career meetings with the Nuggets after scoring 22 on Friday. He wasn't nearly as effective two days later with just 13 points.

"That's just part of coaching a young team with young players," interim coach Sam Mitchell said.

A couple of veterans - Danilo Gallinari and Jameer Nelson - were vital to defeating Minnesota on Friday. Gallinari had a game-high 23 points and Nelson added 20 while picking up the slack at the point once Mudiay exited. Nelson, though, had 10 points and shot 4 of 13 in his first start of the season Monday.