Panic or Patience? Nuggets' Three-Point Shooting vs. Timberwolves

Despite a poor shooting performance, the Denver Nuggets prevailed with a 116-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of their first-round series. As a team, the Nuggets shot just 10-36 (28%) from three-point range, which is very unlike this Denver team that has been scorching hot from deep this season.

Is there reason to panic about the Nuggets' poor three-point shooting? Or should we just stay patient and wait for the team to find their rhythm again?

Panic or Patience?

Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The Nuggets had a historically impressive three-point shooting regular season, leading the league by shooting 39.6% on all three-point shots and 42.8% on wide-open attempts. Their wide-open clip was the highest the league has seen in an 82-game season since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, which featured Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant.

All-Star guard Jamal Murray, especially, had a historic season. He became the fourth player in NBA history to shoot 43% of better on 7.5 or more three-point attempts per game, and just the second to do so while also averaging 25 or more points per game, joining Curry.

In Saturday's Game 1, Murray shot just 0-8 from beyond the arc. Other stars on the team also struggled, as Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined to shoot 6-22 (27%) from deep.

Jokic 2/7
Jamal Murray 0/8
Cam Johnson 2/7
THJ 1/3
Even AG 1/5

I feel great right now, double digit win when all of your shooters were getting awesome looks and it just wasn’t going down. https://t.co/OxJyJboBfq pic.twitter.com/54v0h7tztB
— MFB Sports (@TheMFBSports) April 19, 2026

This was a very poor shooting performance from the Nuggets, and certainly not one they are used to. Still, this proves how dangerous they are.

Even though the Nuggets lead the NBA in three-point percentage, they are 20th in three-point attempts per game. While they are very efficient from beyond the arc, they do not rely on it. The Nuggets were incredible at getting to the free-throw line, shooting 30-33 as a team, led by Murray's perfect 16-16 from the stripe.

We can undoubtedly expect Murray and the Nuggets to find their rhythm from beyond the arc again, but even if they do not, they proved they can still win on cold shooting nights.

Verdict: Patience

Sure, through the full 82-game regular season, the Nuggets were the best shooting team in the NBA. However, the playoffs are a different monster. There will be plenty of ups and downs through this year's playoff run, and getting comfortable, even when their shot is not falling, is the key to success.

The Nuggets had the third-worst shooting performance of any team in the first round of the playoffs, but the two teams below them both lost (POR and PHI). There should be no doubt that the Nuggets' shot will eventually fall, and if they can win like this on a poor shooting night, we can only imagine what they will do when they get hot from deep.

Of course, it is easy to say this after a win, but Nuggets fans need to be patient, as the shot will come back and start falling, potentially as early as Game 2 on Monday night.

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