The Denver Nuggets defeated the host Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, 102 - 99. Minnesota (1 - 3) ended the first quarter with a comfortable 12 - point lead, but quickly saw the Nuggets (2 - 2) mount a major comeback. Strong shooting to start the second half allowed the Nuggets to take a commanding lead, as they outscored the Wolves 33 - 14 in the third quarter. Small forward Danilo Gallinari led the team with 19 points, which included four three - point shots. Sophomore center Jusuf Nurkic, meanwhile, posted 18 to go along with two blocks and two steals. Nurkic's play jumped out despite him being tasked with facing the powerhouse young frontcourt of Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng. Strong bench play also bolstered the Nuggets, as forward Wilson Chandler contributed 19 points for the second unit. Despite their second - half implosion, the Wolves saw promising play from a number of young stars. Towns posted game highs in points and rebounds, scoring 32 and grabbing 14 boards. It was the highest - scoring night of the season thus far for the reigning Rookie of the Year. Another recent Rookie of the Year winner, Andrew Wiggins, finished second in the points column, contributing 25 on the night. Big man Gorgui Dieng, who the Wolves recently signed to a large extension, made a minimal impact, however. Dieng scored only two points and had four turnovers in the game. Both teams will travel on Saturday, with the Wolves taking on the Thunder in OKC and the Nuggets heading East to Detroit.
["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 3 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 14 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 1 Wins ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 2 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 33 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 2 Wins ."]