Nikola Jokic recorded his third triple-double in as many games to start the season; Jamal Murray had his best game of the season, and the Nuggets improved to 2-1 on Monday in Minneapolis.

Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 127-114 win at the Target Center:

1. Anyone who thought that was going to be easy after Anthony Edwards was ruled out earlier Monday hasn’t been paying much attention the last couple of years. The Timberwolves entered the night with a six-game winning streak over the Nuggets, dating back to the final two games of their second-round series in 2024. Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle made it apparent Minnesota wasn’t going down without a fight in the early minutes and erased an early 12-point deficit and went on to lead by as many as nine. Jamal Murray, Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr. helped the Nuggets get the lead back to 13 in the second half, but Minnesota refused to go down quietly.

2.  All the talk about Murray’s offseason and conditioning to start the season feels more and more real with every game. After posting 25 points and 10 assists in the season-opener and scoring a team-high 23 points in Denver’s second game, Murray made sure his third game of the season was his best. He scored 23 of his game-high 43  points in a pivotal third quarter. He finished 16 of 29 from the field, including a 5-for-9 mark from 3-point range. He added six rebounds and three assists. The Nuggets won the 37 minutes Murray played by 30 points.

3. Cam Johnson could borrow a bit from Hardaway’s approach. At times it has looked like Johnson is overthinking early in his time with his new team. The same can’t be said of Hardaway, who doesn’t waste any time when a shot presents itself. That, at times, has led to some ugly shooting percentages in the preseason and first couple of games of the regular season, but the consistent approach paid off when the Nuggets needed it in Minnesota. Hardaway scored 20 points on 11 shots and went 4 of 6 shots from 3-point range. Johnson didn’t play down the stretch due to right shoulder soreness. If that limits or prevents him from playing in the Nuggets’ next game, Hardaway’s impact will become increasingly important to the Nuggets’ success.

NUGGETS 127, TIMBERWOLVES 114

What happened: The Nuggets led by four after the first quarter but fell behind 65-57 at halftime. The script flipped for good in the third quarter, and Denver improved to 2-1.

What went right: Denver made 13 of 26 attempts from 3-point range. Jamal Murray, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Peyton Watson all made multiple 3s.

What went wrong: Minnesota dominated the transition scoring in the first half. The Timberwolves scored eight fast-break points, while Denver was scoreless in transition.

Highlight of the night: Nikola Jokic threaded another dime to Cam Johnson in the second quarter. Jokic caught the ball a step beyond the left elbow and threw a behind-the-back pass to Johnson, who cut I layup.

Up next: The Nuggets host old friend DeAndre Jordan and the Pelicans on Wednesday at Ball Arena.