3 studs and 3 duds from Nuggets game 4 win over Timberwolves

The Nuggets got a pivotal 115-107 victory in Minnesota on Sunday night to even their second-round playoff series at 2-2. Pundits were busy writing the Nuggets obituary after the team lost games 1 & 2 at home. But they showed the heart of a champion, going on the road and winning back-to-back games over the Timberwolves to send things back to Denver all tied up.

Now the Nuggets have recaptured homecourt advantage as this Western Conference Semifinal has become a best-of-three series with two remaining games in Ball Arena. Game 4 certainly wasn’t the walk in the park that game 3 turned into; the Wolves put up a great fight and wouldn’t go away until the very end, but ultimately the defending champs were too much.

The biggest reason the Nuggets were able to prevail, and the biggest reason they’re in a position to possibly win consecutive NBA championships, is Nikola Jokic. After a rough game 2, the Joker has reasserted himself as the best player in the world. He was amazing in game 4, attacking the Wolves early and often, getting into the paint, and showing a masterful finishing touch.

When the Wolves sent extra help his way, Jokic made them pay almost every time, showing off his ridiculous passing skills. It was clinical stuff from Jokic who ended up with 35 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals on 15/26 shooting. Whenever Minnesota started to make a push it seemed like Jokic had the answer. 

The 3x NBA MVP put his stamp on this game and helped the Nuggets get across the finish line, but many other factors determined the outcome. Here’s a look at three studs who helped their teams and three duds who did the opposite.