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All in a day’s work, Nikola Jokic dodged questions about his aggression against Rudy Gobert, exhibited gentle embarrassment at being called a genius by his coworkers, then referred to himself as a freak of nature with a complete poker face. That was at the podium. On the court, he passed behind his back to perimeter shooters, behind his back to the baseline dunkers, over the top of five defenders for Hail Mary touchdowns.

Rudy Gobert’s effort was valiant. But Nikola Jokic was just too good. In the midst of Jokic’s scoring onslaught in the third quarter of Game 5, the Timberwolves big man was in the paint, trying his best to prevent the three-time MVP from moving around him. Jokic backed down Gobert, turned left, then right, then left again before he shot the ball over the four-time Defensive Player of the Year’s outstretched arm and into the heavens before dropping down through the net. The Nuggets took a seven-point lead with 6:40 left in the quarter, as Minnesota — the best defensive team in the NBA — saw its hopes for a Game 5 slowly fading away. “I just laugh.

The Denver Nuggets outpaced the Minnesota Timberwolves to win game 5 of the series 112-97 on Tuesday night, May 14, 2024, at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Denver now leads the series 3-2.

Nobody could hear a word Adam Silver was saying, but the speech was probably nice. On a night Ball Arena drowned out the NBA commissioner’s presentation of Nikola Jokic’s third MVP award with “M-V-P” chants, Jokic proceeded to give Silver a treat. He went for 40 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists to lead the Nuggets to a 112-97 Game 5 win and a 3-2 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jokic made 15 of 22 shots from the field.

Initial thoughts from the Nuggets matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday evening. Related Articles Denver Nuggets | PHOTOS: Denver Nuggets outpace Minnesota Timberwolves to win game 5 of the series 112-97 Denver Nuggets | Nikola Jokic’s 40-point masterclass hands Nuggets 3-2 playoff series lead over Timberwolves Denver Nuggets | Nuggets playoff rotation: Why Justin Holiday is playing more, and Peyton Watson is playing less in Timberwolves series Denver Nuggets | Rudy Gobert fined $75,000 for money gesture during Game 4 of Timberwolves vs.

SAN DIEGO — Inside the clubhouse, Rockies players had quietly said they were much better than their terrible record indicated. They didn’t say it too loudly because it’s best to whisper when you own an 8-28 record. But who could blame the Rockies for turning up the volume after beating the Padres 6-3 Tuesday night in front of 40,134 at Petco Park?