(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Coming into their second-round playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets were favored to come out on top and advance to the Western Conference Finals, as they once again looked like the best team in the Western Conference, if not the entire league.
Unfortunately for Nikola Jokic and company, the Timberwolves were highly motivated to pull off the series upset against the defending champions.
Anthony Edwards led his team to two straight wins in Denver, where they took a commanding 2-0 lead as the series shifted to Minnesota.
The humbling losses to start this series appeared to be all that was needed to motivate Mike Malone’s squad as they went on to win the next three games and take the 3-2 series lead, forcing the Timberwolves to an elimination scenario in Game 6 on their home floor on Thursday.
In Game 5, the Nuggets put on another clinic against the Timberwolves, with Jokic having one of his best postseason games thus far, dropping 40 points and dishing out 13 assists with zero turnovers.
Jokic put on this performance against the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, with Ruby Gobert seemingly helpless to stop the NBA MVP, as pointed out by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer on Twitter.
Nikola Jokic iso 3 on Rudy Gobert pic.twitter.com/mwYAvBtzKT
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 15, 2024
Here are some fan reactions to the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year getting dominated by the reigning NBA MVP in Game 5:
Gotta take the DPOY trophy back after tonight.
— Steve (@SirEscapeALot) May 15, 2024
I think you mean Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert
— Garod Wayman (@RainKingGW) May 15, 2024
The DPOY should be rescinded.
— Sunny (@FX_Ops) May 15, 2024
Gobert should offer Jokic his DPOY as a peace offering, Jokic will take it but no peace will be given back
— J Clout (@JRGxJClout) May 15, 2024
After looking like the Nuggets had lost their mojo in the first two games of this second-round series, Denver has taken the momentum and seems like they will advance to the next round with relative ease unless Minnesota shows up in Game 6.
Although another brilliant performance by Edwards might be on the horizon, the Nuggets appear to have the edge now and will likely face either the Dallas Mavericks or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
The post Everyone’s Saying The Same Thing About Rudy Gobert After Game 5 Loss appeared first on The Cold Wire.
What resonated with me most was your point about the importance of small consistent actions. It’s easy to overlook how these tiny steps accumulate over time. Your personal story really brought this home in a way that statistics alone couldn’t.