The Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-97 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals on Tuesday, May 14, to take a 3-2 lead in the series and win their third straight game.
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic was once again the catalyst for Denver, scoring a game-high 40 points against the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert. Not only did Jokic finish with 40 points, but he also dished out 13 assists to record a double-double and captured those assists without committing a single turnover. Jokic also recorded seven rebounds, three shy from a triple-double, and shot 68% from the field.
JOKER 40 BALL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/olNpOtu3aY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 15, 2024
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon finished the game with 18 points, ten rebounds, and five assists, capturing a double-double and becoming the first Nuggets forward with that stat line since Carmelo Anthony played in Denver. Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished the contest with 16 points, and Nuggets forward Christian Braun recorded ten points off Denver’s bench.
The Timberwolves were led by forward Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished the game with a team-high 23 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out four assists. While center Rudy Gobert struggled to defend Nikola Jokic, he out-rebounded him, capturing 11 rebounds to Jokic’s seven. However, that did not make much of a difference in the game's scoring. Gobert and Anthony Edwards both finished the contest with 18 points.
The Timberwolves return to Minnesota on Thursday, May 16, for Game 6. They hope to capture a win in front of their home crowd and force a Game 7 in Denver. Denver looks to close this series out on the road and return to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year.
)