On the night where NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, presented Nikola Jokic with the MVP trophy, the Serbian sensation did not disappoint. The Denver Nuggets came away with the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final score of 112-97. However, Jokic was the headline of the night as he poured in an efficient 40 points to go along with 10 assists and seven rebounds. However, what is perhaps the most impressive is he had no turnovers on the night. An incredible feat considering Jokic’s usage in Denver’s offensive scheme. He now joins Chris Paul as the only two players in league history to record at least 40 points, 10 assists, and no turnovers in a postseason game.
Nikola Jokic’s 40 Point Night Gives Nuggets 3-2 Series Lead Going Back to Minnesota
Nikola Jokic’s Production This Postseason
Despite the early postseason struggles for the team, Nikola Jokic has shown why he is the MVP this playoff run. During the playoffs, he is averaging 28.8 points, 13.3 total rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game. On top of this, the Joker is also shooting 56.3 percent from the field and has increased his defensive impact tallying 1.7 steals per game. As if that was not impressive enough, he currently has a box plus/minus rating of +45 so far this postseason. Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves gave Jokic high praise after his 40-point outing.
“I didn’t see any weaknesses [in our defense],” Edwards said “I seen the MVP. He showed that he’s the MVP.”
Head coach, Michael Malone also heaped praise on his superstar center.
“Nikola was named MVP after that game two loss,” Malone said of the Nuggets’ embarrassing 106-80 loss to the Wolves on May 6th. “And I think the last three games he has shown everybody why he is arguably one of the best players to play this game.”
The Nuggets will play game six against the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Thursday, May 16th .
Denver’s Title Odds
Per FanDuel, the Nuggets currently have +260 odds to win the NBA Finals. At the start of the series, their odds were much worse. However, they have shown why one should never count out a defending champion as they have won three straight including two on the road. Aaron Gordon has helped take the pressure off Jamal Murray by becoming the primary ball handler and the bench production has taken a surprising turn for the better. With Nikola Jokic playing at his current level, the rest of the NBA should take notice that the defending NBA champions are heating up at the right time.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
