The Nuggets are playing like champions again and putting the Timberwolves on the ropes

Repeating a championship in the NBA is as challenging as ever with the talent level across the league these days, with the Golden State Warriors the only one to do so over the last decade. Look at the five teams that hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy prior to the Denver Nuggets last season: the Warriors in 2022, the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and the Warriors in 2019. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are one win away from stopping that streak and playing like they're poised to buck that lack-of-back-to-backs trend.