Nikola Jokic dropped a 40-point double-double as the Denver Nuggets leaned on a sizzling finishing kick to topple the Minnesota Timberwolves, 116-107, to regain the West top spot.
Joker filled the stat sheet to help the Nuggets capture the top seed in the West ??
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2024
41 PTS | 11 REB | 7 AST | 16-20 FGM pic.twitter.com/U1XZBizajF
Jokic had 41 points, 11 rebounds, and seven dimes on an insane 16-out-of-20 shooting, as the Nuggets pulled away late over the Timberwolves for a third straight win.
After a Mike Conley triple that cut Denver’s lead to one at 88-87 in the fourth, the defending champs launched a game-changing 22-7 run, capped off by a Peyton Watson’s two-way effort, to blow the game wide open at 110-94.
Peyton Watson blocks it on one end and throws down the tomahawk jam on the other 🚫💥
Nuggets lead down the stretch in the 4th quarter 110-94!
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2024
MIN-DEN on ESPN pic.twitter.com/H8jd7P2sJs
Christian Braun had three monstrous dunks in that stretch, including this nasty left slam over three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert.
HAMMER TIME pic.twitter.com/vFw4sn1Ohn
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 11, 2024
What a find by Joker to Braun 👀🃏 https://t.co/LL5rHRV52U pic.twitter.com/K0r8zBhriu
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2024
Braun finished with eight points and Watson made his mark in the defensive end with a career-high six blocks.
Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. chipped in 20 and 18 markers respectively as Denver improved to Western Conference-best 33-8 record at home.
The win pretty much locked up the Nuggets path to finish the regular season with the West’s best record, a feat they achieved last season.
Denver closes out their regular season campaign on the road against both the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies.
If they come victorious in those games, they get the top seed. In case of a split and the Timberwolves lose their final games, the Nuggets still grab the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards led the T-Wolves with 25 points, with veteran guard Mike Conley adding with 19 points after going 5-of-9 from behind the arc. Minnesota actually took a 52-49 halftime lead with a balanced scoring of Edwards and Conley, who had 10 and Gobert adding nine markers and nine rebounds.
Anthony Edwards' slam caps a 10-0 run for Minnesota on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/dMfsvnHE0E
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2024
However, as per basketball insider Shams Charania, star big man Karl-Anthony Towns is set to return in one of the Timberwolves’ final games against the Atlanta Hawks and the Phoenix Suns.
Prior to the meniscus injury, KAT was having one of his best seasons, averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
The loss dropped Minnesota (55-25) into a share of the West’s no. 2 seed with the Oklahoma City Thunder (55-25).
