Nikola Jokic isn’t really known for being a great dunker, but we’ve seen him throw down two monstrous ones in the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the Denver Nuggets won Game 5 on Tuesday, Jokic was asked if he felt he needed to finish more authoritatively against their rim protection and he gave a hilarious answer.
“I mean I had an open lane,” Jokic said. “I’m a freak of nature and why not show my athleticism?”
"I'm a freak of nature." 😂
Jokic speaks on revealing his dunk package against the Timberwolves 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/iqK4Q8eZsz
— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2024
Jokic really is quite a funny guy. He is the farthest one can get from being an athletic freak, but it doesn’t stop him from dominating on the court.
Jokic recorded 40 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block to lead the Nuggets to a 112-97 win over the Timberwolves in Game 5. The 29-year-old even took Rudy Gobert, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, to school by repeatedly scoring on him in this contest.
It wasn’t too long ago that Jokic was being criticized after the Nuggets lost the first two games of this series at home, and he has now orchestrated quite a turnaround to go up 3-2. For the series, the six-time All-Star is now averaging 29.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
The Timberwolves had managed to slow Jokic down a little bit in the first two games but like all the greats, he has found solutions to whatever they’re throwing at him now. The Serb’s performances in the last 2 games also show just why I firmly believe he is the best player in the world.
Jokic scored 16 points in the fourth quarter in Game 4 to keep the Timberwolves at bay and reclaim home-court advantage. Then in Game 5, he scored 16 in the third quarter to all but end the game as a contest and give the Nuggets the lead in the series for the first time.
Jokic stepped up when it mattered most and as a result, Denver is now just one win away from getting to the Western Conference Finals yet again.
Anthony Edwards Reacted To Nikola Jokic’s Dominant Performance In Game 5
Prior to Game 5, Anthony Edwards had been the best player in this series, but it’s safe to say that title now belongs to Jokic. After the game, the Timberwolves star was asked about the three-time MVP’s incredible performance and Edwards said he could just laugh when he saw Jokic dominate and hailed him as the best player in the NBA.
“I just laugh. That’s all I can do. I mean I can’t be mad because he’s good, man,” Edwards said. “I think I said that after Game 1 when we won, and Game 2. He’s the MVP, he’s the best player in the NBA. He showed it in the last three games in a row and tonight. He was special tonight. I got to give him his flowers. I don’t know what we were supposed to do. He was that guy tonight.”
There really was nothing that the Timberwolves could have done. Even when they played great defense, it didn’t matter, as Jokic was simply unstoppable. There are times when you simply have to tip your cap to your opponent for being too good and that was what Edwards did here.
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