Anthony Edwards ain’t the man in Game 1.

In the Saturday matinee, the magnificent men were Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the NBA’s most harmonizing and proficient offensive pair (probably ever) who melded for 55 points, 18 rebounds and 18 assists in the Nuggets’ eventual playoff victory over the Timberwolves. And The Joker was a triple-doubler waiting to bubble.

The Nuggets’ other three main men – Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cam Johnson – took tenacious turns on Minnesota’s Edwards Scissorhands and limited him in 38 minutes to 22 points, including his only basket in the last 8½ minutes on a freebird when the game already was definitely decided. They also contributed a total of 41 points as the Nuggets rallied from a first-half 12-point deficit to a second-half 13-point lead, then only a precarious 2-point edge before streaming off at the end when the Ant-Man and the Big Bad Wolves were all balled out at Ball Arena.

Game 2 in a no-love-lost rivalry that Edwards says is between “me and them” is Monday night. What up? The Nuggets are.

Edwards has been the dazzling difference-definer for the Timberwolves in the previous two playoff series in ’23 and ’24 split with the Nuggets. However, late in this season Ant-Man missed 14 games with a right knee infection and inflammation. He did return for the next-to-last regular-season game when the seeding juggling still was an issue.

Yet, Anthony of the Games of Thorns with the Nuggets was listed as questionable for the opening game, but he wouldn’t miss playing in one of his favorite NBA locations – where he has experienced run-ins with the real league MVP and the authentic All-NBA guard from Canada and, even once after a loss, arena workers.

He started Saturday afternoon, but wasn’t much of a factor early except for a blocked shot. The Nuggets’ coaching staff assigned Christian Braun as the first line of defense against Edwards and surrounded him with a second guardian for the entire game. Gordon was in Edwards’ shield before drawing three quick fouls and leaving for the rest of the first half. Johnson, Murray and Bruce Brown, one of only four reserves the Nugs utilized in the game, were generally effective vs. Edwards, who had a misleading 22. He made only 7 of 19 from the field and just 2 of 9 3-point attempts. He did end up with nine rebounds and seven assists, but managed only seven free throws.

The Wolves’ followers would expect 42, not 22. But Edwards may take a while to return to brilliance.

He didn’t scare anyone. But neither did Julius Randle, a Nuggets nemesis in the past. He also suffered foul trouble, couldn’t buy a vowel or a 3-pointer and was not an influencer until he became busy trying to bully Gordon and drawing more infractions. Rudy Gobert, an annual All-Defensive center, has struggled like a squirrel against Jokic previously, but forced him into four turnovers and had the MVP out of sorts for more than two quarters. Jokic responded, though, and took to task Gobert and Jaden McDaniels.

The real Saturday matinee serial movie hero was Murray as The Blue Arrow and his sidekick Flash Gordon. Jamal’s 14 points got the Nuggets back into the game, sparked his mates, who had been six days without a game and acted lethargic, and drew the sellout crowd into a frenzy.

With 2:33 remaining, the Nuggets’ advantage was shaky at 106-101. The Wolves didn’t have anything left when the Nuggets pushed the score to 114-101.

The Nuggets won their 13th game in a row.

However, the triumph was just one in a row in playoff games (after the defeat in Game 7 to Oklahoma City last season) and just one in a row against Minnesota in the postseason. The Wolves won two years ago in Game 7 here.

It won’t be shocking if the Nuggets take a 2-0 lead, but the last series proved that the Wolves and the Nuggets can prevail on both teams’ courts.

Neither the Nuggets nor the Timberwolves played at their pinnacle in Game 1. The Timberwolves need Ant-Man rather than Ain’t-Man. The Nuggets need The Joker, man, and the Nuggets’ other men.

Nuggets in five.