Preview: Timberwolves, Nuggets Set for Playoff Opener in Denver DENVER (Interstat) — The reigning champion Denver Nuggets will open their title defense Saturday when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series at Ball Arena. The Nuggets (54-27), the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed, enter the postseason as heavy favorites, having won 13 of their final 14 regular-season games. They are installed as 5.5-point favorites for the opener, with an over/under of 230.5 points. Denver is led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who averaged a triple-double in April, including a 40-point, 13-assist performance against San Antonio on April 4. In the teams’ last meeting, a 142-138 overtime win for Denver on Dec. 25, Jokic posted 33 points, 21 rebounds and 19 assists. The seventh-seeded Timberwolves (49-33) split the four-game regular-season series with Denver, most recently winning 117-108 in Denver on March 1. Minnesota closed the season with a 132-126 win over New Orleans on April 12, led by forward Joan Beringer’s 24 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks. Beringer, a player to watch for Minnesota, has seen a dramatic increase in playing time and production over the past week. After sporadic minutes through late March, he logged 31 minutes against the Pelicans and 26 in a win over Houston on April 10. The Nuggets have dominated at home, while the Timberwolves have been inconsistent on the road down the stretch, including losses at Orlando, Charlotte and Detroit in early April. Denver’s high-powered offense, which regularly exceeded 130 points in April, will test a Minnesota defense that allowed 126 points in its season finale. The series will follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format. Game 2 is scheduled for Monday in Denver.