Nikola Jokic received his NBA MVP award before Tuesday night’s playoff game between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves and quickly showed why he was voted the league’s best player for the third time.
Jokic scored 40 points and dished out 13 assists and the Nuggets retired Anthony Edwards a 112-97 victory over the Timberwolves, putting the reigning NBA champions one win away from reaching the Western Conference finals.
The Serbian was almost unstoppable in his home arena. Even the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert, couldn’t contain him: Jokic was 8-9 on shots while Gobert was the primary defender.
When Towns went to the bench with his third foul late in the first half, Gobert pointed to teammate Kyle Anderson and told him to guard Jokic. TNT announcer Reggie Miller was stunned by Gobert, saying, “You’re the Defensive Player of the Year!” You guard the MVP!”
Edwards said there was little he could do but stand back and admire his fellow All-Star after watching him go off for 16 points in the third quarter and assist on four other baskets.
“I just laugh. That’s all I can do,” Edwards said. ‘I can’t be angry. He’s good, man. I think I said after Game 1, when we won, and Game 2, he’s the MVP. He’s the best player in the NBA. He showed it the last three games, three games in a row. He was special tonight. I have to give him his flowers. He was that guy tonight.”
Jokic, who is not known for his explosive skills, now has two impressive dunks in transition in his last two games. He joked about the new angle to his game.
‘You know, I’m a freak of nature. Why wouldn’t I show off my athleticism?” he said at the post-match press conference.
after newsletter promotion
Aaron Gordon added 18 points and 10 boards, and Jamal Murray scored 16 for the Nuggets. Murray said Jokic’s skills make his job easier.
“When Jokic scores like that, you don’t have to do anything special,” Murray said.
Edwards was trapped and doubled all night and was held to 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Karl Anthony-Towns led the Wolves with 23 points and Gobert scored 18.
“I think we did a great job, not just on [Edwards] but everyone,” Murray said.
In his pre-game comments, Wolves coach Chris Finch also expressed his displeasure with the NBA fining Gobert $75,000 for making a money gesture following a call from referee Scott Foster in Game 4. That was $25,000 less than Murray for his actions in Game 2., when he also made the money sign and threw both a towel and a heat pack at an official.
Coming off their first three-game losing streak of the season, the Wolves will have to snap their skid Thursday night at Target Center to force a Game 7 back in Denver.