Nikola Jokić, Nuggets hang on in dominant win over Timberwolves in Game 5 to fend off elimination

Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets aren’t done just yet.

The Nuggets picked up a commanding 125-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their opening-round playoff series on Monday night to keep their postseason hopes alive.

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While they can’t lose the rest of the way and trail 3-2 headed into Game 6 later this week on the road, Monday night’s win was easily the biggest of the series so far — and it came on the heels of a contentious finish on Saturday night that capped a three-game losing skid.

Nuggets surge in second half

The Nuggets took a nine-point lead into the locker room at halftime. They forced 14 turnovers and led the entire way in the second quarter while staying a step ahead of the Timberwolves despite them drilling nine 3-pointers in the opening 24 minutes. Jokic hit a huge 3-pointer of his own from deep over Rudy Gobert without a second thought right before the buzzer, too.

That momentum more than carried over into the second half. The Nuggets opened the third quarter on an 18-8 tear to break open a 19-point lead almost instantly. Nothing was falling for Minnesota anymore, either. It missed seven of its first 10 field goals as the Nuggets started running away with the contest. The points came from everyone too, including a fastbreak dunk from Spencer Jones that lit up Ball Arena and forced a timeout.

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The Nuggets ended up closing the quarter on a 12-6 run, interrupted only by a Gobert and-one slam. Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson each picked up huge dunks during that stretch, which pushed Denver to a 22-point lead by the end of the period. Minnesota had 20 turnovers by that point.

By then, the fourth quarter was merely a formality. The Nuggets cruised the rest of the way, and survived one last Minnesota push that briefly saw the game get back to just 10 points, to grab the win.

Julisu Randle led the Timberwolves with 27 points and nine rebounds. Ayo Dosunmo added 18 points, and Jaden McDaniels had 13 points. The Timberwolves are without star Anthony Edwards, who is considered week-to-week with a hyperextended knee and bone bruise, and starting guard…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/breaking-news/article/nikola-jokic-nuggets-hang-on-in-dominant-win-over-timberwolves-in-game-5-to-fend-off-elimination-051849897.html

Author : Ryan Young

Publish date : 2026-04-28 05:18:00

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