SUMMARY
- Nikola Jokic scored 22 points in the Nuggets' Game 6 loss while the rest his teammates failed to contribute more than 15 points each.
- The 3x MVP believes the Timberwolves' decision to blitz him helped them win.
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets took a hard fall against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 with a 45-point deficit loss. This is the first time in order a decade that a team was held to 70 points or under. The Nuggets initially took a 0-2 deficit in the series before bouncing back with three consecutive wins.
The 3x MVP was the only one who scored above 20 points in the Nuggets camp while everybody else was held under 15 points. Jokic revealed one thing the Wolves had done differently than the previous matchups. He said, “Yes, they didn’t double me last couple of games. So, they doubled me today. But I think we created good shots most of the time. So, we just didn’t knock them down.”
The Nuggets were the first team in the playoffs to put the Wolves on constraints holding them under 100 twice this series. But the Wolves defense proved exactly why it’s the best in the league.
Nikola Jokic calls Game 6 a great loss for the Nuggets
Nikola Jokic also understood what this loss meant to the Nuggets. It’s obvious that facing a motivated Timberwolves roster in Game 7 is going to be dangerous, especially after witnessing what a fourth option in Jaden McDaniels can do on both ends of the floor. He said, “They beat our a**. They were better than us in every segment of the game. And we need to accept it, you know.”
1ST QUARTER
Anthony Edwards: 14 PTS, 2 3PT
Denver Nuggets: 14 PTS, 2 3PTpic.twitter.com/mdajgO254T— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 17, 2024
“[We have to] just take it, and try to be better next time. You know, if you lose by 45, it is not something that happens every day. So, just accept it, you know. I’m cool with it,” he concluded. Both Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were held to single-digits in scoring. The Timberwolves also made sure to refrain from fouling, which is something Anthony Edwards claimed helped them win the game as well.
Anthony Edwards cannot wait to face the Nuggets in elimination
This will be the first time the Timberwolves face a Game 7 under Anthony Edwards. The All-Star guard challenged a Nuggets staffer after Game 5 saying that the Wolves will be back in Game 7. Edwards seems excited to be visiting a hostile environment, especially since it’s an elimination game.
He said, “They’re the defending champs. So, it’s going to be super tough. They’re home, they’re at their crib, they’re fans [are] crazy. It’s going to be super loud. But I feel like as a competitor, it’s like one of the best feelings in the world.” He added, “All my playoff experiences on the road has been super fun. Cause nobody’s on your side. So, I can just imagine how this game will be… I’m super pumped for it. I’m super happy, I’m ready to play.”
Edwards has been averaging 30.2 points, 6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in the playoffs. The Wolves need to keep working with Karl-Anthony Towns being the primary defender on Jokic. Double-teaming the 3x MVP has made it incredibly tough but the Wolves also make sure to keep following the ball in every second of the game.