How Nikola Jokic Beat the Timberwolves in Game 5

Hail to the Defending Champions.

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I feel like this series has turned me into a prisoner of the moment. As I wrote earlier, I predicted the Nuggets to beat the Timberwolves in a long series. When the Timberwolves took a 2-0 series lead, I shifted — as many others did — because of how dominant they looked in those first two games and it was hard to see Denver winning 4-of-5, including three on the road. Well, Denver came and stole games four and five on the road despite great Anthony Edwards games. The Nuggets looked like a team that sleepwalked through the first seven games of the playoffs and the Timberwolves embarrassing them at home in Game 2 appears to have woken them up.

Denver beat Minnesota again in Game 5, a 112-97 victory to take a 3-2 series lead. The Timberwolves didn’t get boat raced or embarrassed despite a 5-for-15 shooting night for Anthony Edwards and no one stepping up and Mike Conley out; the Nuggets’ biggest lead was just 18 points. The story of Game 5 is Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who posted 40 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds on 15-for-22 shooting on the same night he received his third MVP award.

I’ve seen Rudy Gobert take a lot of heat for not being able to slow Jokic. I don’t think this is controversial, but people generally don’t like Gobert and it’s not surprising those same people want to diminish his Defensive Player of the Year awards. It’s not like it was just Gobert that failed to stop Jokic. Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels or anyone else fared no better than Gobert on Jokic. Zooming out, we have seen Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo — some of the best frontcourt defenders in the league — fail to slow Jokick. It’s hard to say in one breath that Jokic is a great player and then say Gobert is not that good because he got beat by him. Excuse me, “Him.”

One reason the Timberwolves could not slow Jokic was that he beat them in a variety of ways. You can plug a hole but it’s nearly impossible to replace the whole floor when it’s fallen from beneath you. Let’s take a look.

Gobert defends Jokic well by forcing him away from the rim and into a contested fade away.

Great footwork and great touch by Jokic who just flips in the bucket. Notice how Jokic fakes, like he is backing Gobert down and then quickly, uses that motion to get separation before Gobert can contest. This is not bad defense, IMO.

For the second time this series, the Timberwolves have allowed Air Jokic to take flight. Also, what is Murray doing?

Minnesota tries pressuring Jokic high to keep him out of the paint but Jokic hits *checks notes* Reggie Jackson on the roll to the basket. Maybe Towns could have helped off KCP sooner with Reid as his help, but Jackson has such good position on the catch anyway.

Jokic even killed the Timberwolves in transition finding Christian Braun for the dunk. Morris rightfully stayed home on Gordon and while Edwards was not looking for Braun, it’s hard to blame him for focusing on Jokic.

Is this Reggie Jackson running a dribble hand-off for a Jokic 3? Unreal.

I could keep going but I won’t. The Timberwolves tried defending Jokic in several ways with several players and nothing mattered. Sometimes when you are facing a great player, especially the best in the game, there won’t be much you can do. If your best players are not having a great night or are missing your starting point guard, you are probably going to lose.

Right now, everything feels bleak for the Timberwolves in this series. If the Nuggets close this out, I don’t think there is any shame in losing to this team, especially with how impressive they have looked since going down 2-0. Edwards will be better in Game 6 and you know he has already called Game 7, but the Nuggets are hard to stop with Jokic playing like this.