The Denver Nuggets were caught off guard by their opening-round elimination at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.
Facing Minnesota’s physical defense, much of Denver’s lineup, including Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, failed to match the level they showed during the regular season, when the team won 54 games and entered the playoffs riding a 12-game winning streak.
Despite outside speculation that head coach David Adelman could be under pressure after the early exit, Durando reports that the organization currently expects him to remain in his role for the 2026/27 season.
Both Jokic and Murray publicly backed their coach following Thursday’s loss.
“It’s not his fault we couldn’t rebound,” Jokic said. “It’s not his fault we couldn’t catch the ball very well. There is nothing to blame David Adelman. It’s all us.”
Nuggets Rumors: Adelman, Gordon, Watson, Johnson, Murray, Braun https://t.co/zQf6CaG6h5
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) May 3, 2026
