MINNESOTA Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards marveled at Denver Nuggets rival Nikola Jokic.
Reigning NBA MVP Jokic dropped 40 points as the Nuggets beat Minnesota 112-97 on Tuesday night.
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The victory gives the defending NBA champions a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.
Jokic was in excellent form, with the big Serbian center dominating both ends of the court.
Despite facing Rudy Gobert, the recently named four-time Defensive Player of the Year, Jokic scored at will in the decisive victory.
He made 15 of 22 shots from the field, in addition to making 13 assists and grabbing 7 rebounds.
A shell-shocked Edwards claimed after the loss that the Timberwolves’ defense had done its job – but Jokic was too good.
“I didn’t see any weakness [in our defense]”, Edward told reporters in the locker room.
“I saw the MVP. He showed that he is the MVP.”
“I just laugh. That’s all I can do. I can’t be mad,” he continued.
“He’s the MVP. He is the best player in the NBA.
“He showed that in the last three games.
“He was special tonight. I have to give him flowers. He was that guy.”
“Being able to lose gracefully is the mark of a future champion,” wrote one fan on X in response to Ant-Man’s calm interview.
“His time will certainly come, but Jokic is clearly not done yet,” said another.
“Not having Conley was a huge loss for the T-wolves. Lots of hate for Rudy but no one was stopping Jokic tonight,” a third added.
Jokic was hot all night on the field and responded to some of his critics with a dazzling display of athleticism and dunks.
NBA Western Conference Playoffs
First round
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) 4-0 New Orleans Pelicans (8)
Los Angeles Clippers (4) 2-4 Dallas Mavericks (5)
Minnesota Timberwolves (3) 4-0 Phoenix Suns (6)
Denver Nuggets (2) 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers (7)
Conference Semifinals
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) x Dallas Mavericks (5)
Minnesota Timberwolves (3) vs. Denver Nuggets (2)
“He played amazing,” Jokic’s teammate Aaron Gordon said.
“The three-time MVP dominated the entire game, in every aspect.
“Amazing. That was ridiculous.”
Since Jokic won his MVP award last week, the Nuggets have won three straight games.
They are just one win away from the Conference Finals and can close out the series on Thursday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
