Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets aren’t carried out simply but.
The Nuggets picked up a commanding 125-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Sport 5 of their opening-round playoff collection on Monday night time to maintain their postseason hopes alive. Jokić has his twenty third profession triple-double, which is the third-most all-time behind solely Magic Johnson adn LeBron James.
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Whereas they’ll’t lose the remainder of the way in which and path 3-2 headed into Sport 6 later this week on the highway, Monday night time’s win was simply the most important of the collection to this point — and it got here on the heels of a contentious end on Saturday night time that capped a three-game shedding skid.
Nuggets surge in second half
The Nuggets took a nine-point lead into the locker room at halftime. They pressured 14 turnovers and led your entire manner within the second quarter whereas staying a step forward of the Timberwolves regardless of them drilling 9 3-pointers within the opening 24 minutes. Jokic hit an enormous 3-pointer of his personal from deep over Rudy Gobert and not using a second thought proper earlier than the buzzer, too.
That momentum greater than carried over into the second half. The Nuggets opened the third quarter on an 18-8 tear to interrupt open a 19-point lead virtually immediately. Nothing was falling for Minnesota anymore, both. It missed seven of its first 10 discipline targets because the Nuggets began working away with the competition. The factors got here from everybody too, together with a fastbreak dunk from Spencer Jones that lit up Ball Area and compelled a timeout.
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The Nuggets ended up closing the quarter on a 12-6 run, interrupted solely by a Gobert and-one slam. Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson every picked up big dunks throughout that stretch, which pushed Denver to a 22-point lead by the top of the interval. Minnesota had 20 turnovers by that time.
By then, the fourth quarter was merely a formality. The Nuggets cruised the remainder of the way in which, and survived one final Minnesota push that briefly noticed the sport get again to only 10 factors, to seize the win.
Julisu Randle led the Timberwolves with 27 factors and 9 rebounds. Ayo Dosunmo added 18 factors, and Jaden McDaniels had 13 factors. The Timberwolves are with out star Anthony Edwards, who is taken into account week-to-week with a hyperextended knee and bone bruise, and beginning guard Donte DiVincenzo, who went down with a torn Achilles in Sport 4.
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Jokić completed with a triple-double with 27 factors, 16 assists and 12 rebounds within the win. Jamal Murray added 24 factors, and Jones completed with 20 factors. The Nuggets shot 57% from the sector. The Nuggets did all of that with out star Aaron Gordon, too. He was dominated out after pregame warmups on account of calf tightness.
Now Monday night time’s consequence apart, the Nuggets nonetheless aren’t in the perfect place. Dropping three video games in a row in the midst of the collection put them in a gap the place they now must be completely good the remainder of the way in which, beginning with Thursday night time on the Goal Middle. A loss would hand the Nuggets their first opening-round playoff exit since 2022.
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However clearly, Jokić and the Nuggets aren’t prepared to only roll over. Monday’s outing was an ideal reminder of what they’re able to. Whether or not it’s sufficient to hold them to 2 extra wins, nevertheless, stays to be seen.