On the basketball court, the MVP honor is the highest recognition for a player. Nikola Jokic took over the MVP trophy from NBA Commissioner Adam Shaw just before the game began, and then celebrated his third MVP with a memorable performance in the playoffs against the Timberwolves.
In this passionate game, Jokic's performance can be described as amazing. Not only did he score 40 points but also dished out 13 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 112-97 victory over the Timberwolves. Winning the battle of Kings Mountain gave the series a 3-2 lead and left the Nuggets on the road to defending the NBA title with just one step away from reaching the Western Conference Finals.
Jokic's performance in this game can be described as an all-round flower. He grabbed seven rebounds without a single turnover, a statistic that is rare in the NBA. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said of him: "He did everything for us tonight and it was fun to watch. ”
Rival Timberwolves' Edwards was also amazed by Jokic's performance. "I'm just laughing," he said. That's all I can do. Edwards looked a little helpless when talking about Jokic's 16 points and four assists in the third quarter, but he was also full of admiration.
The rest of the Nuggets team also performed well, with Gordon scoring 18 points and 10 rebounds and Murray scoring 16 points. Murray said of Jokic's performance: "If Jokic can score like that, then there is no need to do anything special. ”
On the Timberwolves' side, Edwards scored 18 points despite being heavily guarded. Towns scored a Timberwolves-high 23 points, and Gobert also contributed 18 points. Even so, the Timberwolves were unable to withstand the onslaught of the Nuggets.
This game is a big blow for the Timberwolves. They are on a three-game losing streak for the first time of the season, and they must win Game 6 to drag the series to a tiebreaker.
Jokic scored 19 points in the first half to lead the Nuggets to a 50-44 halftime lead. He scored 16 points in the third quarter as the Nuggets extended their lead to 14 points. With 7:12 left in the fourth quarter, Jokic scored a dunk to give the Nuggets a 98-80 lead. Edwards averaged 33.3 points per game in the first four games of the series, but he didn't play well this game, with Conley missing the game with a sore right Achilles tendon.
There was an interesting scene in the game, when Towns went off the break for his third foul in the first half, and Gobert asked Kyle Anderson to defend Jokic. TNT announcer Reggie Miller was shocked by Gobert's choice, saying, "You're the Defensive Player of the Year! You should guard against Jokic! ”
Murray said of Jokic's performance: "He's fantastic, it's the way he analyzes the game, reads the game and trusts his teammates. I guess for the big man, getting the trophy tonight might motivate him a little bit. It's fun to stay at home, the place is rocking and kind of feels the energy, and he can definitely do that. So, the game plan is to give him the ball and we'll figure it out. ”
Jokic, with a great game, proved that he deserved the title of MVP.