Mile High City came raining down on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets were in complete control, extending the series to six games. The Timberwolves, unlike their three consecutive wins, couldn’t use their defensive intensity to upset anything tonight. A cause behind their rare defensive mishap might be because of what happened with Rudy Gobert.
The French center and four-time DPOY appeared to have taken a toll from tirelessly having to deal with Jokic. The culmination of what’s been an exquisite performance really burst out when playing in Denver’s high altitude. Gobert had to get some treatment, using an oxygen mask to restore energy.
That’s the kind of tools necessary when playing in Denver. The air is thinner, testing visiting players’ conditioning. Rudy Gobert has generally been fine throughout the series. But after four games of being attached to the hip of Nikola Jokic, even the Timberwolves’ defensive anchor suffered against the high altitude. It had a clear impact on his performance tonight.
Gobert did far less than what he’s done in this series. In close to 30 minutes, the 33-year-old shot the ball just twice. He also grabbed just seven rebounds, after securing 27 boards in the two games leading up to Game 5. Subsequently, Jokic was unleashed, controlling the tempo from start to finish to hand the Nuggets a vital win.
The MVP finalist had his best personal performance tonight. Nikola Jokic recorded 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists. After a long wait of three games, he recorded a point differential greater than +1. That’s the sort of impact Rudy Gobert had when able to sustain his conditioning for larger stretches in the game. But he’s also human. Fatigue seemed to be a clear reason behind Gobert’s diminished impact.
Injuries to the Timberwolves’ starters – Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo are the reason this series seems far from over. The shorthanded Wolves managed to keep their composure at home. But without Edwards’ athleticism and DiVincenzo’s consistent shooting, they couldn’t replicate an invigorated performance on the road.
To make matters worse, another one of their players nearly went down. In the third quarter, Naz Reid went to the floor in agony after the Nuggets’ Tim Hardaway Jr. inadvertently stepped on his right ankle. Reid suffered a sprain on that same ankle in March. He briefly went to the locker room, causing greater stress on the Timberwolves fans watching on.
Fortunately, the former 6MOTY made his return shortly. Reid was integral in the fourth quarter, where the Wolves actually had moments where it seemed like they would come back from a 27-point deficit. But in the end, they ran out of steam. Consecutive turnovers stretched the lead again. Reid was guilty of a backcourt violation, after which Chris Finch subbed him out instead of Gobert.
But the pressing issue is the waves of the series flowing in the Nuggets’ direction. A 3-2 scoreline with the Timberwolves’ injury woes gives them a real shot at a comeback. Denver’s done a 3-1 comeback twice before, in consecutive series when playing in the bubble. They’ll fancy their chances now that the Wolves don’t have their franchise cornerstone for the remainder of the series.
However, it’s still imperative for the Nuggets to have a spread-out scoring performance. Tonight, even without Aaron Gordon, they got 38 combined points from Cam Johnson and Spencer Jones. That’s the formula to beat a tenacious Wolves team. Over-reliance on Murray and Nikola Jokic would spell trouble. And with the series heading to Minnesota, it’s going to be much harder for the Nuggets’ role players to step up.
Timberwolves need resilience. The Nuggets need belief. Whoever managed to show stronger determination over their principles could emerge victorious in this tie. Who do you think it’s going to be?
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