The Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets clash was one of the most important battles of the season. With both teams having the same record, a victory would essentially guarantee the winning team the #1 spot in the Western Conference. With the top-most seed in the West up for grabs, Nikola Jokic brought his A-game, leading the defending champions to a 116-107 victory. Scoring 41 points in this contest [per NBA.com] ‘the Joker’ even left Minnesota Timberwolves superstar, Anthony Edwards flabbergasted.
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Following the game in question, Anthony Edwards was asked to reflect on Nikola Jokic’s performance and the difficulties of guarding the two-time MVP. Being a guard, Edwards fortunately doesn’t need to defend the Serbian. Before telling the reporter to ask the question about guarding the big man to Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert, and Kyle Anderson, Ant exclaimed that he was “unstoppable”.
“I don’t know [about how to guard him], I don’t have to guard him… It look hard. I dunno, mother**ker’s unstoppable. So I dunno, you gotta ask Naz and Rudy and Kyle. It looks hard,” Ant told the reporter.
Indeed, Anthony Edwards does not have to guard Nikola Jokic. However, it is clear that even he can tell the kind of matchup nightmares ‘The Big Honey’ creates. And so, being as skilled as he is, it is no wonder that he had such an amazing night, despite what was at stake.
By the end of the contest, Nikola Jokic was on the floor for more time than any other member of the Nuggets. In those 38:25 minutes, the 29-year-old finished with a stellar 41 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, a near triple-double, per NBA.com.
Rudy Gobert, who was outperformed by the reigning Finals MVP, believed that the Wolves could’ve won had they capitalized on the 10 minutes Jokic spent on the bench, per Dan Moore. Failing to take advantage of the Colorado side’s small-ball lineup cost Chris Finch’s boys the game, in his opinion.
While Gobert isn’t wrong, there is more here than what meets the eye. Even when Nikola Jokic is not in the game, those playing against the Nuggets still have to deal with the likes of Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon, along with a host of other players. Additionally, the franchise’s bench unit is nothing to sneeze at either, with players such as Christian Braun, Reggie Jackson, and Payton Watson giving the team great production while the starters get their rest during games.
Of course, when Nikola Jokic isn’t on the floor, the Denver Nuggets aren’t as strong as when he is on it. However, the Timberwolves can’t kick themselves too much for not being able to capitalize on the 10 minutes in question.
As for the rest of their regular season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have two games remaining before the regular season concludes. While dethroning the Denver Nuggets from the top may be a lost cause, the Wolves will hope to finish out the season strong and clinch the #2 seed.
Currently, the #3 Oklahoma City Thunder have the same 55-25 record as them. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a fairly difficult schedule remaining – the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks- compared to the Minnesota side – the Atlanta Hawks and the Phoenix Suns.
