After the Denver Nuggets’ most recent win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nikola Jokic was interviewed and asked about what the Nuggets have been doing differently. To the few who might not be aware, the NBA postseason is currently taking place with the Nuggets and Timberwolves matched up for the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Although Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves started this series in a dominant fashion by winning both of their games on the road against the Nuggets, Jokic and his squad rallied and replicated the same feat by winning Games 3 and 4 in Minnesota. After winning Game 4, the Joker was asked for an explanation regarding the Nuggets’ comeback to even the series. That said, a closer look may interest fans.
Nikola Jokic credits his team for elevating their play on the road
While Jokic is the best star of the Denver Nuggets and the face of the franchise, he also plays a selfless style of basketball and always looks to find teammates in positions where they can score and help the Nuggets win. Since he is such a well-rounded and balanced player in terms of scoring, rebounding, and assisting, it is really no surprise that he recently won his third MVP award.
The first two games of this series did not go as the Nuggets would have hoped. However, they managed to rally back and even the series at 2-2 heading into Game 5. During the postgame interview, Jokic discussed the improvements that his team made in order to get 2 much-needed wins against the Timberwolves.
Since the Minnesota Timberwolves are quite a tall and athletic team, one can certainly understand why the Denver Nuggets took some time to adjust to their opponent’s physicality and playstyle. Jokic also spoke on in-game events that led his team to win Game 4.
Jokic believed that the closeout of the first half helped the Nuggets win this game
Fans will know that an NBA game can be divided into 4 quarters or 2 halves. The starting and ending of each of them play an important role in deciding the team’s position as the game progresses. The Nuggets took a small lead towards the end of the first half and were up by 7 points with less than 25 seconds left in the second quarter.
With around 21 seconds left in the quarter, KCP rose up and hit a three-pointer to give the Nuggets a 10-point lead. The Timberwolves had the ball for the final possession but Anthony Edwards ended up losing control and causing a costly turnover. Nikola Jokic caught it instantly and threw it ahead to Michael Porter Jr., who threw down an open dunk with less than 2 seconds left in the game.
The Timberwolves became careless and attempted to fling a cross-court inbound pass to get a final shot off. This was stolen by Jamal Murray who rose for a three-pointer buzzer beater and made it. This sequence allowed for the Nuggets to turn a 7-point lead into a 15-point lead within less than half a minute.Jokic also discussed how this play was monumental in his team holding off the Timberwolves and winning this game. Fans are left wondering if the Nuggets will be able to replicate Game 4’s performance in their next matchup against the Timberwolves.