Sakmann News, Entertainment and Sports
SNES Blog Network
While soon-to-be three-time MVP Nikola Jokic insisted Wednesday night’s regular season finale against the Minnesota Timberwolves was “just another game,” every player and fan in Ball Arena knew what was […]
While soon-to-be three-time MVP Nikola Jokic insisted Wednesday night’s regular season finale against the Minnesota Timberwolves was “just another game,” every player and fan in Ball Arena knew what was at stake: the rights to the first seed in the Western Conference.
While both the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves (as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder) have two games left to play before the postseason begins, this game essentially served as the final battle for the Western Conference’s top seed. While neither team could clinch the top seed with a win on Wednesday night, both teams could put themselves in a position where they control their own destiny down the stretch.
With a 116-107 win on their home court, Jokic and the Nuggets did just that. Denver improves to 56-24 with the victory, and if they can take care of business on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs over their final two games, the Nuggets will earn the Western Conference’s top seed for the second straight season.
The final score may not look super tight, but the Timberwolves actually controlled most of this game. Minnesota came in this primetime matchup having won two of three games against the Nuggets this season. A road win for the Timberwolves would have been monumental: putting Minnesota in the driver’s seat for the first seed, thereby securing homecourt advantage against the Nuggets in a potential playoff matchup, as well as build incredible momentum against their divisional opponents.
For the first time since March 21, the Nuggets took the court with their championship-winning starting five: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr.. Murray returned from a two-week absence on Saturday night against the Hawks, and Gordon returned to the starting lineup after missing a couple games.
The Timberwolves led 28-26 after the first quarter on a balanced scoring attack, led by Anthony Edwards. At halftime, the Timberwolves led 52-49 despite 16 points from Jokic and solid scoring from the Nuggets starting five.
Anthony Edwards scored his eighth point of the third quarter in just over three and a half minutes, giving the Timberwolves a 64-58 lead. At risk of falling behind, the Nuggets started hitting some big shots and started getting more defensive stops.
Most curiously, the Nuggets seemed to find good success against so-called three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Granted, Gobert was tasked with guarding one of the league’s most un-guardable players, and Gobert held his own from time to time. But by the end of the night, Jokic finished with 41 points, and if you had never watched an NBA game before, you would be surprised to hear Gobert is one of the most feared defensive players in the league. (Reggie Jackson also showcased a lack of fear for Gobert, attempting a floater against the 7-foot-1 French center, reminiscent of Jackson’s attempt against Wenbamyama last week. Like that attempt, this one was promptly blocked.)
The game’s outcome was still very much in question heading in the final quarter, with the Nuggets grabbing an 83-80 lead. After some high quality back-and-forth basketball, Murray found an open Jokic near the free throw line, where the Serbian big man drained the mid-range shot to give Denver a 93-87 lead. I highlight this shot because it seemed to be the turning point where the Nuggets started to pull away.
After Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray hit a pair of 15-foot shots to put the Nuggets up 10 points, Mike Conley hit a three-pointer to give Minnesota a sliver of hope. But Jokic found the bottom of the rim again from two feet out, putting Denver up 99-90, before an absolutely uncanny sequence.
Christian Braun matched a Jaden McDaniels dunk with one of his own, with two Timberwolves defenders (including Gobert, who committed a shooting foul on the dunk) in the vicinity. After Porter Jr. sunk a pair of free throws following an Edwards loose ball foul, Braun found the ball his hands on the fastbreak once again, and jammed it over, you guessed it, 7-foot-1 Gobert in the paint.
But the madness didn’t stop there: on the Nuggets next offensive position, Porter Jr. found Braun on the fastbreak for an alley-oop dunk, giving the Nuggets a 108-94 lead with 3:00 left to play, and forcing the Timberwolves to call a full timeout.
For good measure, Peyton Watson blocked Naz Reid’s ensuing three-point attempt, and was rewarded with a monster jam of his own on the break. 110-94 Nuggets, and Ball Arena is absolutely roaring. Minnesota called another full timeout, waving the white flag with 2:44 left to play and removing all five starters from the game.
The Nuggets went on to win 116-107 in a game that, once again, essentially gives Denver control of their own destiny in regards to the Western Conference’s number one seed with just two games left to play in the regular season. Denver improves to 56-24, finishing 33-8 at Ball Arena for the 2023-24 NBA season.
Jokic finished with 41 points on 16-of-20 field goal shooting, along with 11 rebounds and 7 assists. It was Jokic’s 47th career game with 35+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists, tying Larry Bird for the ninth-most such games in NBA history. It may seem like a random or insignificant statistic, but besides the more obvious triple double, it’s just another testament to Jokic being on a short list with some of the best NBA players of all-time.
Jamal Murray added 20 points on 4-of-9 shooting: which looks a lot better when you present it as elite 4-of-6 three-point shooting. Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points including two three-pointers. Aaron Gordon had a quiet shooting night (5 points on 2-of-7 shooting) but tied his Nuggets career-high in assists (9) and had the best net court rating among starter (+9, tied for team-high with Justin Holiday and Christan Braun.) Peyton Watson recorded a career-high six blocks as he continues his incredible second-year ascension, undoubtedly earning himself some playoff minutes.
The Nuggets close out the season with road games against the Spurs and Grizzlies on Friday and Sunday. Win those two games (or even one in some scenarios) and the top seed is the Nuggets’ once again. No matter what happens, Denver will host a first round playoff game at Ball Arena on the weekend of April 20 following the conclusion of the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament.
To follow the Denver Nuggets on their quest for back-to-back championships, and to stay up to date with the latest NFL and NBA news, be sure to follow Sak Sports Blog on Twitter or on Facebook!
Header Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Be sure to follow Sak Sports Blog on Twitter or on Facebook for more NBA and NFL updates!
Sakmann News, Entertainment and Sports 