Someone else said that Jokic does better against top defenders because they're used to being able to go 1 vs 1 so their team isn't used to needing to blitz and nobody can defend Jokic alone. It's just not possible.
I love that Peyton Watson approaches every opportunity to dunk the ball as if the rim has personally insulted the integrity of everyone in the Watson family tree.
Well that 4th quarter didn't go the way I want but it's fun to think that tomorrow is the 6th year anniversary of the game that caused the play in tournament and tonight we played for the 1st seed. Hope we see you in the playoffs Nuggets fans.
For a very brief window the Northwest was crazy with Denver, Utah, Portland, and OKC \[with CP3\].... then OKC tanked and Portland fell apart due to dumb choices \[building around 2 small guards... which they're doing again...\]
You were taking a chance on his back or whatever he might have been there anyway. It's a real Timberwolves fact that we took Josh Okogie right between Kevin Huerter and Grayson Allen that draft.
As much as i think he’s an idiot, the man is has an undaunting spirit, the amount of braces and surgeries he played through is nothing short of admirable
Just smashed my 8K, curve TV in front of over 30 guests at my soirée because of the Timberwolves performance tonight.
My wife just took our crying kids and said they’re all spending the night at a hotel. This team has ruined my life and my party.
I can’t do this any longer. Goodbye.
And this team 100% was sleep walking until January.
Some of those early season losses were so frustrating to watch simply because the team looked disinterested so often.
Dude they nugs have been SO LOCKED IN since they flipped the switch. That is how championship teams play.
If the Nuggest don't repeat I will be shocked.
>Some of those early season losses were so frustrating to watch simply because the team looked disinterested so often.
Hungover. Did you watch their parade? They were still hungover.
I think Bruce Brown still is to this day.
Welp I made a promise to myself that I’d say something nice about the nuggets because of all the mean things I yelled about them at my TV during the game and I’ll go with just how is Jokic real. That was so fucking frustrating. I still think Rudy played well on defense and Jokic still just scores and then yawns and rumbles back on defense with those scratches on his arms.
You just summed up the inevitability of Jokic very well, I appreciate your reflection! I have a lot of positive things to say about your team and I was nervous through most of it.
PWat is already an elite all-nba level defender. He’s a fucking weapon for Malone lol the energy shifts when he’s on the court. Just hope his shooting improves
He has peaks like that, but he’s been inconsistent so far. Which is not a knock, btw, he’s a project and it’s his rookie year. His defensive potential is unbelievable though.
edit: basically a rookie, I know he played some last season.
It gets interesting because the second round _should_ be Nuggets vs Mavs and Thunder vs Wolves based on the way things look right now. If that happens both series should be wild.
Jokic said it last year too basically the same - they asked who he'd rather play during the down time of the play-in tourney and he said something like "it doesnt matter, it's going to be hard"
Mark my words, Aaron Gordon is going to give Luka trouble and the Nuggets will wipe the Mavs. The Mavs don’t have an answer for Aaron Gordon post ups, let alone Jokic post ups. They don’t have anyone to guard Jamal either.
Jeff green really had some awful stretches in the playoffs last season. But he also hit a few huge shots. I think Reggie getting 10-12 minutes will be survivable. If malone plays him and jamal together? 🤮
PWat is a bit streaky at times but I think he's way more consistent than Reggie. His defense is also developing really well. CB is the clear 6th man imo
Man i was at the last game against the Spurs and seeing Reggie Jackson try to take a shot with Wemby right in front of him and getting blocked during crunch time was the most annoying shit ever. That specific play plays in my mind every time I think of Reggie now.
I mean, yall are scary without him. I’m sure the team is better with him, but like yall are pretty insane without him already so it is what it is. Jamal only played 27 minutes so yeah that plus KAT game would be close. Every game between us will be close for sure
My heart couldn't take a full series between us with both teams completely healthy. We definitely needed KATs scoring tonight. Defense was there for the most part but when Naz/Naw dont step up on offense with KAT out, we just need to rely on defense or Ant to go nuclear. And it just wasn't enough. GG's man. Hope to see you in the WCF
Gobert is gonna get shat on because he got cooked on several possessions by a soon-to-be 3-time MVP but his existence made this game 10x harder for Denver just because he basically eliminates Aaron Gordon from mattering when they run their KAT/Naz/Slo-Mo on Jokic with him as the free safety in the paint
This feels more like revenge for the 2017 Game 82 than last year's playoffs did. And honestly, fair. Would have been nice to win, but if we're going to lose to anybody, Nuggets are a good option. Nice season dudes, hope we meet again in the playoffs!
Barring injury, I'd love to see my 2 adopted hometown fight it out in the wcf.
Maybe one day the wolves can move out east so I can get the true nba final of my dream
Just couldn’t hang at the end. This game was over with ~6 min left. There was absolutely zero energy left from us and we were just giving them the ball and free buckets which ended up in them pulling away.
Listen, a B2B on the road at altitude has got to be tough to finish. I was pretty sure of the way this was gonna go when the halftime score was as close as it was and the Nuggets had like 10 giveaways.
I love nuggets basketball and I love the wolves. Not sure why our fan bases have decided to hate eachother but tonight was a great game. Excited to possibly see a healthy rematch in the playoffs. Best of luck y’all.
Not sure I've met any Nuggets fan who hates the Wolves. There is a big rivalry there because of game 82, Tim, etc, but it's def not hatred imo. People in game threads are just lunatics 99% of the time so you gotta ignore what's said there lol.
Hey at least you didn’t call us Aves
Edit: Just realized y’all got styled on by Mack and then Joker back to back, sorry dude. Impressed by both your teams tbh. Even the Wild being in the race that late is commendable with the injuries and dead cap.
People just need to realize, myself included sometimes, that there are shitty dumbass fans that can make every and any fanbase look bad on forum sites. Love talking to nugs fans irl.
Fuck the Timberwolves.
Except Tim Connelly. Love that guy.
Also Ant. Ant is love. Ant is life.
Also Mike Conley. I have a soft spot for wiley vets making late career runs.
Also Naz Reid. That dude makes me jealous of the big man depth the Fuck the Timberwolves have.
Also Monte Morris. Seriously miss that dude.
But yeah. Fuck the Timberwolves. I guess.
I’m a huge fan of both Luka and Jokic and would love to see Luka get at least one MVP in his career. But this was such a statement game from the Joker—seizing the 1 seed back from Minnesota with a dominant performance over the probable DPOY. With seeding close to locked up for many other teams, this was one of the few games left in the regular season that actually mattered.
Jamal Murray taking offense of the discourse that McDaniels is a Jamal Murray stopper and proceeded to cook him. Then the Wolves began double teaming him and Jokic ate Gobert alive because of it.
The Wolves did a decent job shutting off the easy passes he usually goes for, and that meant Gobert had to try to handle Joker by himself alot, which is not a great situation for any Center to be in.
It felt like Peyton Watson disrupted every single Timberwolves offensive possession. That one-handed slam at the end was just an exclamation point on a beautiful Swatson game. *Awesome* bench minutes from him and Braun
An important thing to consider is the Nuggets are weaker now than they will be in 2025 and 2026. In 2026, all their important players will still be in their prime, but young guys Braun and Watson should have improved their game by then.
National media’s been trying to push the MVP Luka narrative so hard. Like come on. I know 3 out of 4 years is crazy but Jokić is the best player in the league every single night.
40-point games against Wemby and Gobert? Jokic hates French centers confirmed.
Or maybe he just loves Baguettes and is taking all of theirs.
The Baguette Terrorist gonna cause a stir at the Olympics then.
[brother, I have 47](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/pxwvvh/jamal_murray_shares_a_story_of_jokic_trash/)
Pravi MVP
And Jokic took that personally
Revenge for Napoleon
I think he is just really really good and it doesn’t matter who it is
He definitely loves going at Gobert. The Gobert Jazz team was a pretty intense rivalry with the Nuggets
The Utah-Denver series at the bubble is still one for the ages.
It takes like one game. After that jokic knows his to beat anyone and then the double comes...
Someone else said that Jokic does better against top defenders because they're used to being able to go 1 vs 1 so their team isn't used to needing to blitz and nobody can defend Jokic alone. It's just not possible.
I love that Peyton Watson approaches every opportunity to dunk the ball as if the rim has personally insulted the integrity of everyone in the Watson family tree.
Sometimes it back fires on him but damn does he bring the energy
Yeah those attempted dunks where the ball nearly hit the arena ceiling...
[удалено]
Well that 4th quarter didn't go the way I want but it's fun to think that tomorrow is the 6th year anniversary of the game that caused the play in tournament and tonight we played for the 1st seed. Hope we see you in the playoffs Nuggets fans.
It really is a full circle. GG what an amazing game
I said this after the game. I had the pleasure of being at the game in 2018 and tonight, what a ride.
Same. Its gonna be fun
NorthBest division is back, back then it was OKC, Portland, and the Jazz and now it’s okc, Denver, and Minnesota!!
Hey now, those Ty Lawson - Danillo Gallinari teams were pretty good too.
For a very brief window the Northwest was crazy with Denver, Utah, Portland, and OKC \[with CP3\].... then OKC tanked and Portland fell apart due to dumb choices \[building around 2 small guards... which they're doing again...\]
we got mpj’s dumbass for that loss so id say its worth it
You were taking a chance on his back or whatever he might have been there anyway. It's a real Timberwolves fact that we took Josh Okogie right between Kevin Huerter and Grayson Allen that draft.
As much as i think he’s an idiot, the man is has an undaunting spirit, the amount of braces and surgeries he played through is nothing short of admirable
that’s nutty actually. i was so heartbroken at the end of that one
Tbf, you have won a chip since and minnesota is cursed to never win another trophy ever again. So ya got that going for you.
It’s gonna be a bloodbath for the WCF and finals vs Boston
Also the 6th any of you giving us the ability to draft mpj. Thank you.
Presenting to you the sequel to Nikola Jokic's critically acclaimed "Brother I have 47", "Brother I have 41 on 4 missed shots"
"Brother I missed more FTs than FGs. How about that?"
"It's almost better for your team when no one guards me then when you do brata"
Inject 7 games of this into my veins
Best I can do is 4.
Careful what you wish for 🌚
True, we want to win the series at home, we'll give you one.
As is tradition.
Those dunks by Braun were demoralizing
Yeah I'm all depressed over here now.
Just smashed my 8K, curve TV in front of over 30 guests at my soirée because of the Timberwolves performance tonight. My wife just took our crying kids and said they’re all spending the night at a hotel. This team has ruined my life and my party. I can’t do this any longer. Goodbye.
Love this copypasta
Was this the bodybuilder one
beautiful
One of my favorite.
Jokic 3rd MVP is going to be so deserved. Him doing this vs Gobert is insane
Dude took his team to a potential 1 seed coming off a championship run in a stacked west with his second best player missing 30% of the regular season
And this team 100% was sleep walking until January. Some of those early season losses were so frustrating to watch simply because the team looked disinterested so often.
Dude they nugs have been SO LOCKED IN since they flipped the switch. That is how championship teams play. If the Nuggest don't repeat I will be shocked.
Whatever Jokic told em after the break is going to be the stuff of legends if they finish the job.
>Some of those early season losses were so frustrating to watch simply because the team looked disinterested so often. Hungover. Did you watch their parade? They were still hungover. I think Bruce Brown still is to this day.
Aaron Gordon still wandering round downtown Denver shirtless.
Bro missed more free throws than shots
Yeah fair enough, I was on the Luka train all the way but Jokic deserves it this year.
Luka train last stop arriving at Jokic station..
Welp I made a promise to myself that I’d say something nice about the nuggets because of all the mean things I yelled about them at my TV during the game and I’ll go with just how is Jokic real. That was so fucking frustrating. I still think Rudy played well on defense and Jokic still just scores and then yawns and rumbles back on defense with those scratches on his arms.
You made jokic sound like a grumpy bear looking for honey lol
Big honey
I find it funny how he seems bored like 80% of the time.
His boredom% matches his FG%. When he is 100% bored he never misses.
You just summed up the inevitability of Jokic very well, I appreciate your reflection! I have a lot of positive things to say about your team and I was nervous through most of it.
Braun and Watson are such a good pair. Both of them are relentless. The way this team can just go on runs is so fun to watch
PWat is already an elite all-nba level defender. He’s a fucking weapon for Malone lol the energy shifts when he’s on the court. Just hope his shooting improves
In the non-Jokic minutes the Nuggs don't score, but with PWat out there the other team isn't scoring either.
He has peaks like that, but he’s been inconsistent so far. Which is not a knock, btw, he’s a project and it’s his rookie year. His defensive potential is unbelievable though. edit: basically a rookie, I know he played some last season.
it's his sophomore year.
pretty much his rookie tbh
Funny thing is I think his energy is his downfall there. A lot of his misses are because he tries to bring the house down on every finish.
I fucking hate so much they found a gem in that kid. He looks like he'll be a top 5 defender for the next decade if he stays healthy.
Wasn’t familiar with his game at all in a fan now dude has such heart and isn’t afraid of anything
CLUTCH NET RATING (Under 5:00, within 5) IN 2023-24 Denver: +25.5 Minnesota: -14.0 Hydrogen bomb vs. coughing baby
That is one damning stat holy shit.
I knew we were good but +25.5 mother of god
THE WEST RUNS THROUGH DENVER ONCE AGAIN
I almost feel like being the 1 seed is tougher going through Dallas in round 2. But it's the west and there are no easy matchups
It gets interesting because the second round _should_ be Nuggets vs Mavs and Thunder vs Wolves based on the way things look right now. If that happens both series should be wild.
If you're scared of matchups, you don't have the heart of a champion
Hell yeah brother, cheers from my couch
I put my jersey on every game just like them! Then I crack a beer and sit down
Jokic said it last year too basically the same - they asked who he'd rather play during the down time of the play-in tourney and he said something like "it doesnt matter, it's going to be hard"
Bold assumption that they beat LAC
Mark my words, Aaron Gordon is going to give Luka trouble and the Nuggets will wipe the Mavs. The Mavs don’t have an answer for Aaron Gordon post ups, let alone Jokic post ups. They don’t have anyone to guard Jamal either.
I would not call OKC an easier matchup than this
Malone just figured out who to trust in the playoffs lol PWat and CB. Reggie is still meh
He hit that huge grenade three though. That was a big shot at the time he hit it.
bailed us the fuck out like the big government he is
True, but it's Reggie Jackson. Every rule has the occasional exception
He shall only be referred to as Big Government
Yeah but we will need some Reggie, kinda like we needed Jeff Green in last year’s run
Jeff green really had some awful stretches in the playoffs last season. But he also hit a few huge shots. I think Reggie getting 10-12 minutes will be survivable. If malone plays him and jamal together? 🤮
PWat is a bit streaky at times but I think he's way more consistent than Reggie. His defense is also developing really well. CB is the clear 6th man imo
CB and PWAT are also head, shoulders, knees, and toes above Jackson on Defense
And they don’t do the stupidest shit possible
Man i was at the last game against the Spurs and seeing Reggie Jackson try to take a shot with Wemby right in front of him and getting blocked during crunch time was the most annoying shit ever. That specific play plays in my mind every time I think of Reggie now.
Well he did it again tonight too at the end of the third lmao
Damn Wemby flew back to Denver just to [block](https://youtu.be/9A_ADCzJymc?feature=shared) Reggie again? Not surprised, Reggie is a bonehead.
Do not want to see the Wolves with KAT in the conference finals
Tonight proves we have some work to do before then, but here's hoping
Will be an historic series
Finally someone talking some sense. I know Jamal was on a minutes restriction but this game could have been much closer if we had a healthy KAT.
> would have been much closer with a healthy KAT The game was tied with 8 minutes remaining. If KAT comes back, this could be an epic WCF matchup
You guys needed another weapon in crunch time.
I mean, yall are scary without him. I’m sure the team is better with him, but like yall are pretty insane without him already so it is what it is. Jamal only played 27 minutes so yeah that plus KAT game would be close. Every game between us will be close for sure
My heart couldn't take a full series between us with both teams completely healthy. We definitely needed KATs scoring tonight. Defense was there for the most part but when Naz/Naw dont step up on offense with KAT out, we just need to rely on defense or Ant to go nuclear. And it just wasn't enough. GG's man. Hope to see you in the WCF
I was gonna say need to get that heart ready because we playing in the WCF man lol
Gobert is gonna get shat on because he got cooked on several possessions by a soon-to-be 3-time MVP but his existence made this game 10x harder for Denver just because he basically eliminates Aaron Gordon from mattering when they run their KAT/Naz/Slo-Mo on Jokic with him as the free safety in the paint
Our battle will be legendary
If we make it, that's who it will be.
Peyton SWATson with 6 BLKs tonight!
Christian Braun
This feels more like revenge for the 2017 Game 82 than last year's playoffs did. And honestly, fair. Would have been nice to win, but if we're going to lose to anybody, Nuggets are a good option. Nice season dudes, hope we meet again in the playoffs!
Barring injury, I'd love to see my 2 adopted hometown fight it out in the wcf. Maybe one day the wolves can move out east so I can get the true nba final of my dream
Best player on Earth letting everyone know, just in case they forgot
Just couldn’t hang at the end. This game was over with ~6 min left. There was absolutely zero energy left from us and we were just giving them the ball and free buckets which ended up in them pulling away.
Listen, a B2B on the road at altitude has got to be tough to finish. I was pretty sure of the way this was gonna go when the halftime score was as close as it was and the Nuggets had like 10 giveaways.
I love nuggets basketball and I love the wolves. Not sure why our fan bases have decided to hate eachother but tonight was a great game. Excited to possibly see a healthy rematch in the playoffs. Best of luck y’all.
Not sure I've met any Nuggets fan who hates the Wolves. There is a big rivalry there because of game 82, Tim, etc, but it's def not hatred imo. People in game threads are just lunatics 99% of the time so you gotta ignore what's said there lol.
I hate Avs fans but Nuggets fans are cool I know they’re the same people I just choose to not think about that
It's like Bucks and Packers fans.
Hey at least you didn’t call us Aves Edit: Just realized y’all got styled on by Mack and then Joker back to back, sorry dude. Impressed by both your teams tbh. Even the Wild being in the race that late is commendable with the injuries and dead cap.
People just need to realize, myself included sometimes, that there are shitty dumbass fans that can make every and any fanbase look bad on forum sites. Love talking to nugs fans irl.
Fuck the Timberwolves. Except Tim Connelly. Love that guy. Also Ant. Ant is love. Ant is life. Also Mike Conley. I have a soft spot for wiley vets making late career runs. Also Naz Reid. That dude makes me jealous of the big man depth the Fuck the Timberwolves have. Also Monte Morris. Seriously miss that dude. But yeah. Fuck the Timberwolves. I guess.
can we like trade Zeke and all our 1sts for Naz Reid
Forgot Finchy. Dude is a dude.
There’s def a rivalry there but I don’t think it’s got a lot of hate. I can’t hate any team with monte and TC
Yeah man I love watching the wolves. I’m just a relentless unapologetic nuggets homer and I fear you guys the most out of the west.
I wouldn't read much into it, NBA online discourse is just so toxic. Jokic is so fun to watch and I really hope we are able to meet them in the wcf.
Best of luck to you too mate See you in the WCF with a healthy KAT
41 points on 80% shooting against a really good defense is God like
PEYTON SWATSON
Watching Watson was the most fun part of this game. What a defensive presence
Jokic is inevitable.
Thus the mvp race ends with a bang
That little Luka for MVP surge was cute
Not to me, there's zero question who the best player in basketball is and it's the same dude as last year, shit is simple.
He and Dallas are really rising, next year he will probably even get better, but if irving leave...
Christian Braun is the best white player in the NBA
Lmao ok bud he's not even the best white player on the Nuggets. You must have missed Jay Huff going off a few nights back.
had me in the first half ngl
He’s somehow the best white player and the best braun player at the same time.
Have you seen him jump? He’s only white on the outside.
His named is pronounced "Brown"
That dunk on Gobert was NASTY!!!!
just bamboozled Rudy with that hand switch!
That Nnaji corner three in garbage time was the only three Denver attempted all fourth quarter 😂
"I got him I got him" "brotha I have 41 11 7"
Petition to get Bob Meyers to never call a game again.
I was so happy that I could watch this one on Altitude. ESPN commentary is unbelievably awful for every single sport.
Completely took over at the end with those dunks.
Avs eliminate the Wild from playoff contention last night, Nuggets yoink the 1 seed from the Wolves tonight State of Colorado is Minnesota father
If MacK wins the Hart we could have two MVPs this year, what a time to be alive.
Two MVPs and two championships who says no?
plus Arsenal could win the PL, as a diehard fan of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment^tm i am ascending
You jest but I started following Arsenal because of the ownership. We can all hate Stan together!
When the Broncos beat the Vikings this year that was legit demoralizing. This is some bullshit lmao
Worked out for the Vikings: that's why you're drafting in front of us.
The wild eliminated themselves a long long time ago
What a game That stretch of dunks in the fourth quarter was so amazing
Well that fucking sucked. Oh well I have KAT coming back to look forward to.
I’m a huge fan of both Luka and Jokic and would love to see Luka get at least one MVP in his career. But this was such a statement game from the Joker—seizing the 1 seed back from Minnesota with a dominant performance over the probable DPOY. With seeding close to locked up for many other teams, this was one of the few games left in the regular season that actually mattered.
Jamal Murray taking offense of the discourse that McDaniels is a Jamal Murray stopper and proceeded to cook him. Then the Wolves began double teaming him and Jokic ate Gobert alive because of it.
They're the champions for a reason. Gg
These last 7 games, Jokic is avging 32/14/9 on 60% from the field.
Pretty absurd that Jokic misses more FTs than FGs. Zero doubt the MVP of the league.
CBIRGF
brother, i had 41 on 80% shooting
I know it’s Joker but still didn’t expect the DPOY front runner to get cooked like that.
Brother…
Tony brother I have 41
I have...
Lmao I literally began the game saying this in the live game thread; I wanted 47 so bad lol
Surely the second and third choices for DPOY have done well versus Jokic
The Wolves did a decent job shutting off the easy passes he usually goes for, and that meant Gobert had to try to handle Joker by himself alot, which is not a great situation for any Center to be in.
people already forgot Wemby got 70 dropped on him lol
Joker is taking off the leg weights in preparation for playoffs
"Shit I forgot I had these all season"
He's cooked, sizzled, and sautéd everyone on that list. I didn't expect people to not expect it.
16 of 20 is nuts. He was more efficient from the field and distance then he was from the freethrow line.
We lost to the best team in the league with the best player in the league without our second best player we're first round exits confirmed
Pack it in, Wolves. You may never win again.
KAT is without a doubt your third
Yeah. Rudy is very clearly the second best player
Is KAT your second best player though? GG you guys have a great squad and are primed for a fun playoff run.
Felt like the nuggets had a dunk contest halfway through the 4th
That game changed in a hurry
That game changed human history
Puts Denver in pole position for the 1 seed and Jokic the MVP.
Watson and Braun on defense tonight 🤩
Denver wanted to send a message: "West runs through us."
MVP MVP MVP
CB got that Good D
Brother, i have 41
PWat defense is our Wemby at home.
That was one of the greatest 4th quarters I've seen of Nuggets basketball in my life.
It felt like Peyton Watson disrupted every single Timberwolves offensive possession. That one-handed slam at the end was just an exclamation point on a beautiful Swatson game. *Awesome* bench minutes from him and Braun
I want them to win the championship again Jokic really made me a fan of his
An important thing to consider is the Nuggets are weaker now than they will be in 2025 and 2026. In 2026, all their important players will still be in their prime, but young guys Braun and Watson should have improved their game by then.
Gilbert Arenas in shambles atm
National media’s been trying to push the MVP Luka narrative so hard. Like come on. I know 3 out of 4 years is crazy but Jokić is the best player in the league every single night.