Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets saw their season end with a disheartening 98-90 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 7 of their intense playoff series Sunday night.
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves are now set to challenge Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, beginning Wednesday night in Minnesota.
For Jokic and the Nuggets, who were last season’s champions, the loss was particularly bitter. They had a commanding 20-point lead early in the third quarter, only to see it evaporate as the Timberwolves rallied to win in front of Denver’s shocked home fans.
After the game, Jokic graciously acknowledged the Timberwolves’ performance, earning admiration from fans for his sportsmanship despite the tough loss.
The Timberwolves demonstrated why they were the top defensive team in the league this season during Sunday’s game. They’ll need to maintain this high level of defensive play if they aim to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Jokic will no doubt be back in the playoffs next season.
