"I just laugh. That's all I can do" - Anthony Edwards on Nikola Jokic's dominant performance in Game 5
After a dominant 40 points, 13 assists, and 7 rebounds performance by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic to lead his team to a pivotal victory in Game 5, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards had nothing but praise to say about his competitor. Edwards admitted that he could only laugh at the end of the day because of how incredible Jokic was.
"I just laugh. That's all I can do. I can't be mad… He's the MVP. He's the best player in the NBA. He showed it the last 3 games…He was special tonight. I have to give him his flowers. He was that guy," Edwards said after being limited to just 18 points.
The best basketball player in the world
Game 5 was easily one of the Joker's best performances in his career. He attempted 22 shots from the field and converted 15 of them. When it appeared that the Timberwolves, who are led by four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, had the ability to slow down Jokic, the latter simply proved that there is no answer for him. A generational defender in Gobert couldn't stop an all-time great in Jokic, who scored 40 points.
Another integral part of Jokic's success is that he's surrounded by elite teammates who star in their roles. At least four members of the reigning champs scored in double figures, and the team shot a total of 47.4% from the three-point line. The Nuggets also took control of the series by finding an answer to Minnesota's suffocating defense.
Recommended Articles
Is there hope left for the Wolves?
From an objective standpoint, it's hard to see how the T-Wolves will regain control of this series. They hadn't lost three straight games in the season until Tuesday when the Mile High squad just broke their spirit. For as superb as Edwards and Minnesota have been all season leading up to the postseason, it's fair to say by now that a locked-in Nuggets team is just better than them—and arguably everyone else in the league.
Minnesota's biggest flaw was their half-court offense, as it was exposed in the last three games. Denver has found ways to limit Edwards, and it doesn't help that they've shot poorly from the field since. For as good of a defender Gobert is, he's also been a non-factor on the offensive end. It also doesn't help that guys like Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Jaden McDaniels — guys who were integral in the first two wins by the Wolves — have slowed their production down since the series shifted to Minnesota.
As the series once again returns to Minnesota, with the Timberwolves facing elimination, Edwards and his team have one last chance to respond and extend the series to seven games. The Wolves have lacked the same mojo they've played with over the last three games, but if there's something they still have, it's that confidence that they can bounce back. Take it from Ant-Man himself.
