Nikola Jokic was fuming at the end of Game 4 between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, but he was all smiles at the end of Game 5. The Nuggets beat the Timberwolves 125-113 at Ball Arena on Monday to stay alive in this first-round series, and Jokic decided to have some fun in the closing stages of the contest.
With the shot clock winding down, Jokic appeared to be handing over the ball to Timberwolves rookie Joan Beringer. Just as Beringer took it, though, the Serb hilariously tried to snatch it right back from him.
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It’s not often that you see Jokic have that big a smile on his face when he’s on the court. Beringer didn’t let him regain possession, though, and so we got a jump ball. The 19-year-old would win it, as Jokic didn’t even jump. The three-time MVP was asked what he was trying to do there in his postgame press conference, but wasn’t interested in sharing.
“Next question,” Jokic said, via the Nuggets.
Jokic, who had 27 points (9-15 FG), 12 rebounds, 16 assists, and two blocks on the night, was probably trying to ensure the Timberwolves didn’t get another possession. As mentioned earlier, the shot clock was winding down. There were about 20 seconds left in the game, and giving Beringer the ball and then taking it back would allow the Nuggets to run out the clock themselves. The youngster spoiled the plan.
As for why Jokic did this, it might be down to what we saw at the end of Game 4, which the Nuggets lost 112-96. Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels decided against running out the clock in the final seconds that night and scored with a layup instead.
Jokic angrily confronted McDaniels for breaking the unwritten rule and sparked quite a brawl. Both he and Julius Randle ended up getting ejected for it.
Jokic made it clear after the game that he did not regret confronting McDaniels. The 31-year-old wasn’t happy about the unwritten rule being broken. McDaniels being the one doing it might be what actually set Jokic off. The forward has gotten under the Nuggets’ skin in this series.
First in Game 1, McDaniels shoved Jokic after a made basket in the third quarter. Then, after the Timberwolves won Game 2, McDaniels said all the Nuggets players are bad defenders. They shrugged off the comments, but he might have ruffled some feathers.
All of this led to McDaniels getting booed during Game 5 in Denver. A “McDaniels sucks” chant even broke out at Ball Arena. He claimed to have loved all the hate coming his way and stated the Timberwolves are going to win the next game. They’d better, or else they might get knocked out.
The Nuggets have trimmed the deficit to 3-2 with this win, and under normal circumstances, you’d back the Timberwolves to eliminate them with a win in Game 6 in Minnesota on Thursday. Unfortunately, they’ll continue to be without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo there.
Edwards has been diagnosed with a left knee hyperextension injury and a bone bruise, while DiVincenzo has torn his Achilles. The short-handed Timberwolves have to win this next game at home, as you’d give them little to no chance of winning a do-or-die contest in a hostile environment.
Jokic’s return to form in Game 5 has made the task of closing the Nuggets out in six all the more difficult. The eight-time All-Star’s struggles were a big reason why the Timberwolves had gone up 3-1. If we see the best of Jokic moving forward, it is going to take a Herculean effort from the Timberwolves to advance.
