Nikola Jokić Says Game 5 vs. T’Wolves Will Be ‘Hardest Game of Our Lives’

Highlights

The Nuggets tied the series 2-2 with the Timberwolves thanks to an impressive road wins led by MVP Nikola Jokić.
Aaron Gordon shined with 27 near-perfect points, while Jamal Murray hit a half-court buzzer-beater.
Despite Anthony Edwards’ 44-point performance, the Timberwolves fell short in Game 4 as the Nuggets leveled the series.

The Denver Nuggets stormed back to tie their Western Conference semifinal series against the Minnesota Timberwolves 2–2 on Sunday night. After dropping the first two games of the series at home, the Nuggets went to Minnesota and delivered two impressive road wins, including a blowout in Game 3 and Sunday night’s 115–107 victory.

Leading the way for Denver was NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, who led the game with 35 points along with seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block. While Jokić was pleased that the Nuggets were able to fight back in the series, he’s well aware that the job is far from done, and the biggest challenges for the defending champions remain ahead.

“We know that we didn’t do nothing, we just won two games. We know that Game 5 is going to be the hardest game of our lives, and that’s how we’re going to prepare ourselves.”

Jokić added that heading into the series he believed that the Timberwolves presented an imposing challenge to Denver.

“Even before the series, I thought it was going to be a really interesting series because both teams can win. Both teams can have huge runs and both teams have players that can have big games. I think it’s a really interesting series.”

Several Stars Have Stepped Up for the Nuggets

Jokić is playing at an incredible pace, but he’s not doing it all by himself.

Nikola Jokic Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets

While Jokić led the way to victory for the Nuggets in Game 4, it was truly a team effort that helped Denver bring the series level after dropping the first two games.

Forward Aaron Gordon had a near-perfect night shooting, making 11 of his 12 shots from the floor for the most efficient 27 points you’ll see in an NBA playoff game. The performance earned him Kobe Bryant comparisons from the opposition.

Meanwhile, guard Jamal Murray had the most electric play of the night, draining a half-court shot at the buzzer just before halftime to extend the Nuggets’ lead. He stamped the play with an exclamation point, celebrating right in front of the commentary table while staring down play-by-play man Kevin Harlan.

On the other side of the ball, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards had a stellar performance in Game 4, but it just wasn’t enough. Despite setting a franchise postseason record with 44 points on the night, Minnesota fell short of the win. In a stunning turn, the Wolves actually won the 45 minutes Edwards was on the court by five points — they just lost the three minutes he was on the bench by 13 points.

Game 5 between the Nuggets and Timberwolves tips off on Tuesday night in Denver.