Spoiler alert: It’s hard to guard Nikola Jokic.
Wednesday night was a Western Conference showdown between the top two teams. The roaring Minnesota Timberwolves flew into Colorado to take on the Denver Nuggets with a shot to lock up the top seed in the conference. As both teams played the night before, it was a war of attrition at Ball Arena. Minnesota owned the tie-breaker prior to tip-off and a win would almost certainly guarantee the Timberwolves the West’s top seed.
However, Denver wasn’t just going to hand them that so-desired one seed. The reigning champion Nuggets were searching to possess the top spot again, just like they had last postseason. Through the first 24 minutes, it appeared Minnesota was on the verge of controlling their own destiny as they held a narrow lead on the road.
The second half became another story.
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets ramped it up, beginning in the third quarter. Behind some timely buckets and a focused defense, Denver flipped the script. Turning a small deficit into a 3-point advantage, the Nuggets were in the driver’s seat going into the final frame.
With Jokic on the bench to start the fourth, Minnesota had an opportunity. However, the Timberwolves let it slip through their fingertips. Denver was able to extend their lead a bit in the non-Jokic minutes, putting the Wolves into a frenzy.
With Minnesota down six points, Anthony Edwards and the Wolves’ offense began to press a bit. Rushing pull-up jumpers and settling for off-balance shots, Minnesota’s offense crumbled. The Joker proved to be too much, even for the NBA’s best defense.
Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards drops an NSFW message on guarding the Joker
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
After Jokic’s absurd scoring line, Minnesota’s star guard was asked how challenging it is to guard the Serbian center.
“I don’t know, I don’t have to guard him… It look hard. I dunno, motherf***er’s unstoppable. So I dunno, you gotta ask Naz and Rudy and Kyle. It looks hard.”
Anthony Edwards’ message was plain and simple. Nikola Jokic is an immovable force even for arguably this generation’s best defender. The two-time MVP sliced up the Wolves’ defense all night long. Dishing out seven assists, Jokic beat Minnesota through an onslaught of scoring and timely passing.
As seen last postseason, Jokic is too smart and too talented to be stopped for a long stretch of time. Prior to Wednesday’s contest, the Timberwolves had forced the Serbian into 12 turnovers and limited him to just 10 assists in their first three meetings this season. However, like clockwork, Jokic showcased his dominance once again in perhaps the most important game of the regular season.
