Jokic still wants to be 'Nuggets forever,' but an early playoff exit leaves them searching for more
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Three years after Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to the NBA championship, the peak looked awfully distant for the team from the Mile High City and the three-time MVP award winner. Ousted in six games by the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first-round series , the Nuggets trudged into the offseason with plenty of questions to answer about their ability to remain a true title contender in the stacked Western Conference. For the first time in four years, the Nuggets failed to make it to May.
“We just lost in the first round, so I think we are far away,” said Jokic, who had 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in the 110-98 loss to the Timberwolves on Thursday night. Four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert deftly neutralized Jokic during the series, even dominating him at times with his long arms, relentless effort and superb positioning. Jokic found some rhythm and spark in the last two games, but his sidekick Jamal Murray had a rough series.
The first-time All-Star, who played in 75 games during the regular season for his most in eight years, was similarly smothered by Timberwolves villain Jaden McDaniels. Murray went just 4 for 17 from the floor and with a game-worst minus-18 rating. “When I get the looks that I need, they don’t go down,” Murray said.
“So that’s the frustrating part, not showing up when my team needed me the most tonight. I feel like if I would’ve played a little bit better we would’ve had that game. ” Missing forwards Aaron Gordon to a calf injury for three of the six games and Peyton Watson for the whole series to a hamstring strain sure didn't help.
Cameron Johnson made a late push from the 3-point line, pitching in 27 points in Game 5, but there wasn't enough production beyond Jokic and Murray in this series for the Nuggets to advance, even against a Timberwolves team that was severely short-handed in the backcourt. And their pick-and-roll synergy was largely absent too. “They were missing a bunch of guys tonight, and they still won.