Nikola Jokic received the prestigious MVP trophy in front of the Denver Nuggets fans at the Ball Arena. On the auspicious night, the Serbian decided to give the spectators another reason to be excited about as he erupted for 40 points on the night. His magnificent display helped the team from the Mile High City grab a 112-97 win and secure a 3-2 lead in the series.
The big man proved to be too good for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ defense as he kept making buckets for the Nuggets. He shot 15-22 from the field and made life extremely difficult for Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Aaron Gordon also had a stellar game as he scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on the night. His energy on the defensive end proved to be the catalyst for the Nuggets in Game 5. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jamal Murray scored 16 points each to make things easier for the defending champions.
The otherwise brilliant Anthony Edwards seemed to struggle in Game 5 as he only managed to score 18 points on 5-15 shooting. Karl Anthony-Towns and Gobert stepped up on the offensive end and combined to score 41 points for the T-Wolves. The team were missing the services of Mike Conley, in his absence, the team had no proper point guard and this seemed to shake their offense a little. With Game 6 set to be played in Minneapolis, the T-Wolves will be looking to pull the series back. Their performance in Games 1 and 2 were truly inspirational and if they are able to replicate that, things could get difficult for Denver.
The Nikola Jokic-Aaron Gordon duo is underrated
Nikola Jokic is one of the best players in the NBA. He was awarded his third MVP trophy by the league for another stellar regular season. The 29-year-old has carried his form into the postseason and his brilliance is helping the Nuggets to another deep playoff run. However, there is another X-factor that is helping the defending champions massively and his name is Aaron Gordon.
The 28-year-old’s versatility has helped elevate the Nuggets to a different level. Since he arrived in 2021, he has been a core member of the franchise. He played a big part in their championship run last season and Gordon has just gotten better since. After playing a starring role since he was drafted into the league, he became a high-value role player for the first time in his career when he moved to Denver. His ability to defend all positions on the floor and catch lobs from mid-air has helped him become a fan favourite in Denver.
Jokic and Gordon have the most lethal partnerships in the NBA. Jamal Murray and Jokic are the two central stars for the Nuggets, but there are some actions where Aaron Gordon becomes a central figure in the Nuggets’ offense. He is an incredible slasher and this gives Nikola Jokic another outlet to make a pass when he gets double-teamed by the opposition.
The Nuggets now have the lead in the series and are a step closer to making another trip to the Conference Finals. They are the team to beat at this stage as they have the players and the experience of already winning it all. While Nikola Jokic continues to drop his monstrous performances, the Nuggets will be hoping they continue getting those energetic displays from Aaron Gordon as that has been their recipe for success.
