Nikola Jokic’s 40-point masterclass hands Nuggets 3-2 playoff series lead over Timberwolves
It didn’t matter that Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. both had off nights. Nikola Jokic played one of his greatest games, and the Nuggets shut down Anthony Edwards in Game 5.
Nobody could hear a word Adam Silver was saying, but the speech was probably nice.
On a night Ball Arena drowned out the NBA commissioner’s presentation of Nikola Jokic’s third MVP award with “M-V-P” chants, Jokic proceeded to give Silver a treat. He went for 40 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists to lead the Nuggets to a 112-97 Game 5 win and a 3-2 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jokic made 15 of 22 shots from the field. He didn’t turn it over. It didn’t matter who former Denver assistant coaches Chris Finch and Micah Nori threw at him: Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, Kyle Anderson. He discarded each matchup with some of the most creative passing and most gentle brushstroke finishing of his career.
It hardly mattered that second option Jamal Murray was limited to an inefficient 16 points, or that third option Michael Porter Jr. struggled with just six. Jokic continued to harness the power of Aaron Gordon behind his own finesse. Gordon went for 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Even after the Timberwolves started the third quarter on an 11-3 run to force a Michael Malone timeout and briefly seize a 55-53 lead, the Nuggets ended up averaging 1.58 points per possession in the quarter. Jokic scored 16 of his points to take control, 88-74.
Some of his finest highlights will be forgotten because they didn’t result in statistics and won’t show up on the reels. Twice in the third, his beautiful feeds to Aaron Gordon ended in Gordon getting fouled on missed dunks. One stemmed from a no-look, behind-the-back bounce pass.
