DENVER -- The Minnesota Timberwolves are flying high on the court after Friday's dominant performance. It will be a much different mood when they say goodbye to their coach on Saturday.

Center Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and the Timberwolves spoiled the Denver Nuggets' home opener with a 95-78 win Friday night.

Guard Andrew Wiggins added 18 points for the Timberwolves, who will take the franchise's first 2-0 record into their home opener against Portland on Sunday.

First, they will put aside basketball to attend Saturday's funeral for Flip Saunders, who passed away Sunday. The beloved coach would have been happy with his team's effort in beating the Los Angeles Lakers and Nuggets to open the season.

"Go tomorrow as winners to go bury our coach. That was more important to me," Towns said. "It's been hard and it gets a little harder tomorrow. This is definitely what Flip would have wanted, to be winners."

The 19-year-old Towns put himself in elite company with Friday's game. He is the first teenager to have double-doubles in his first two games, and he is the second teen since 1985-86 to have at least 28 points and 14 rebounds since LeBron James had 33 points and 16 rebounds at age 18 on Nov. 29, 2003.

"I think a lot of my points came off of one dribble and going to the basket," Towns said. "With them being 6-9 and lighter and me being 7-foot, it's not supposed to happen."

The Nuggets expected to come out strong in their home opener but it was obvious from the start they lacked the energy they showed in Houston on Wednesday. Denver attempted 95 shots, 24 more than the Timberwolves, but shot just 30 percent and trailed the entire night.

"We definitely came out flat," said rookie Emmanuel Mudiay, who led the team with 15 points. "I put the full responsibility on me being the point guard. We have to come out with more energy. It's not the coach's fault, it's not my teammates fault, full blame's on me."

Guard Will Barton had 14 points off the bench and forward Kenneth Faried had 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, who struggled to score two nights after beating the Rockets by 20 points.

"We kept getting stops," Minnesota coach Sam Mitchell said. "For a team to take 95 shots and hold them to 30 percent, you have to play a lot of defense."

Towns, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds in his NBA debut on Wednesday, was dominant in the third quarter when the Timberwolves led by as many as 21 points. He was 5-for-5 from the field, hit two free throws and grabbed four rebounds in the period.

The scoreboard above both baskets went out in the third quarter, and it cost Denver a possible fast-break basket late in the period when Barton heaved a shot from half court with 11 seconds left and the Nuggets trailing by 14.

The clock began working again in the fourth quarter.

With Towns on the bench, Denver pulled within 12 early in the fourth and had several chances to get closer but Barton missed three straight shots and a turnover kept Minnesota's lead in double digits.

Barton finally got the Nuggets within 10 midway through the fourth but they again missed three straight shots and committed two turnovers with a chance to get closer.

Towns then hit a shot to start an 8-3 run that put Minnesota ahead 91-76. The Timberwolves hit 24 straight free throws from early in the second quarter until late in the fourth to stay comfortably ahead.

"They didn't shoot that great from the field but getting to the free-throw line kept them in the game and they made some big shots down the stretch," Mudiay said.

Towns, with 14 points, was the only player in double figures at halftime and was two rebounds shy of a double-double. He also had two blocked shots to help Minnesota hold Denver to 31 percent shooting in the first two quarters.

NOTES: There was a moment of silence for former Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, who passed away Sunday. The late coach is the all-time leader in wins in Timberwolves history. ... Nuggets F Wilson Chandler will miss several weeks with a hip injury. ... Minnesota C Nikola Pekovic is out indefinitely with a right Achilles tendon injury. Pekovic had surgery on the tendon April 8. ... Denver G Emmanuel Mudiay's nine assists in Wednesday's win over Houston was a franchise record for a rookie. ... Timberwolves G Tyus Jones was inactive for the second straight game. The rookie has yet to play in an NBA regular-season game.