Nikola Jokić has looked out of sorts to begin the Denver Nuggets’ first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The three-time MVP delivered one of his worst shooting performances in recent memory during Thursday’s 113-96 Game 3 blowout road loss, getting stifled by Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who candidly weighed in on their head-to-head matchup postgame.
Rudy Gobert Relishing ‘Challenge’ of Limiting Nikola Jokić’s Greatness
While Jokić finished with a game-high 27 points and 15 rebounds, he shot a meager 7-for-26 overall (26.9%), including 2-for-10 from 3-point range (20%), and committed 4 turnovers. The eight-time All-Star also logged a game-worst minus-21 plus-minus as Gobert hounded him throughout the night.
Jokić was forced into numerous awkward, contested, off-balance shots inside, and couldn’t find the mark from beyond the arc as the third-seeded Nuggets were severely outclassed from the jump. They never led, getting outscored 25-11 after the first quarter, with their deficit ballooning to 27 points in the second half.
Aside from Jokić’s offensive woes, his co-star Jamal Murray tallied just 16 points on 5-for-17 shooting (29.4%). Murray missed all five of his outside looks as he endured a similarly nightmarish evening against Jaden McDaniels’ perimeter defensive pressure.
Meanwhile, Denver, as a team, mustered a brutal 28-for-82 shooting mark (34.1%), getting dominated 68-34 in points in the paint as it looked helpless against Minnesota’s relentless drives.
Speaking on his success in containing Jokić in consecutive wins, Gobert took an opportunity to heap high praise on the Serbian megastar.
“He’s the greatest offensive player I’ve guarded in my whole career,” Gobert said after recording 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks. “So, just trying to enjoy the challenge and make him work as much as I can.”
The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year is no stranger to facing Jokić in the playoffs, with this marking their fourth postseason matchup dating back to 2020. Minnesota famously outlasted Denver in a hard-fought seven-game second-round series in 2024.
As for Jokić, who typically controls the tempo and gets to his spots with ease, he attributed the Timberwolves’ success to them flipping the script and outrunning the Nuggets.
“They’re kind of pushing the pace, playing faster,” Jokić explained. “Don’t let us set our defense, and then just driving the ball and trying to be aggressive.”
Denver is quickly running out of time to find its groove offensively, trailing 2-1 ahead of Saturday’s Game 4 showdown in Minnesota. A potential first-round exit for Jokić at this stage of his prime would likely trigger uncomfortable legacy discussions.
Since capturing the 2023 NBA title, the Nuggets have yet to make it beyond Round 2, with their competition growing year after year in the cutthroat West.
