Kofi Inkoom
Nikola Jokic celebrated his third NBA MVP award by putting up 40 points as the Denver Nuggets secured a 112-97 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
Jokic, who also contributed 13 assists and seven rebounds without a single turnover, led his team to their first home win in the semifinal series. Aaron Gordon chipped in with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jamal Murray added 16 points to the scoreboard.
Anthony Edwards, despite being held to 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting, praised the MVP after the game, referring to him as “that guy.”
“I just laugh. That’s all I can do. I can’t be mad…He’s the MVP. He’s the best player in the NBA. He showed it the last 3 games…He was special tonight. I have to give him his flowers. He was that guy.” Ant said.
Ant on Jokic tonight:
“I just laugh. That’s all I can do. I can’t be mad…He’s the MVP. He’s the best player in the NBA. He showed it the last 3 games…He was special tonight. I have to give him his flowers. He was that guy.”
(via @BenGolliver)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 15, 2024
The Wolves, facing their first three-game losing streak of the season, must bounce back on Thursday night at Target Center to extend the series to a Game 7 in Denver.
Jokic dominated the first half, scoring 19 points and helping Denver to a 50-44 halftime lead. He continued his stellar performance in the third quarter, adding 16 points as the Nuggets extended their lead to 14.
Despite Edwards averaging 33.3 points in the first four games of the series, he struggled early on, scoring only five points in the first half. The Timberwolves relied on Karl-Anthony Towns, who contributed 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Nuggets.
The absence of veteran point guard Mike Conley, sidelined with a sore right Achilles, further challenged the Timberwolves. Nickeil Alexander-Walker stepped in and contributed 14 points and five assists in Conley’s absence.
With one more win, the Nuggets will advance to the Western Conference finals for the second consecutive year, likely facing either the Dallas Mavericks or the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are tied 2-2 in their series.