NBA Gametime reacts to Nikola Jokic 35 PTS & 16 REB as the Nuggets beat Timberwolves 115-112

NBA Gametime reacts to Nikola Jokic 35 PTS & 16 REB as the Nuggets beat Timberwolves 115-112

14 points Minnesota outscoring Denver 29- 17 in that quarter but in the fourth he did not score he didn’t score but it it was fun to see how Minnesota competed though in the second half at halftime looks like they were going to run away with it then Joker put his in print you

Look up wait a minute this is a ball game going down the stretch uh Jaden McDaniels made some huge threes you brought up a great Point ant-man’s going to be Ant-Man cuz we use that term row everyone do their rooll well he’s going to be a superhero like he’s supposed to

Be so when cat get healthy go be they got to control the paint but if McDaniels is making shots like this and shooting the ball this well now as an opponent you’re like wait a minute make him beat us well he just beat you he’s making shots that’s what makes uh the

Tim WS more engaging when the playoffs get here if he’s playing well I mean there’s the game within the game yes they didn’t win the game overall but I think you won where you got confidence in these guys that haven’t been getting certain minutes or guys that haven’t

Been getting certain shots so you know you’re gun you don’t want to give a great player like that too many wide open looks like that Michael Porter Jr had a huge huge fourth quarter 26 in the game here is what he had to say after the contest 13 points in the fourth

Quarter for you so Michael Porter Jr again huge fourth quarter with those 13 points 26 in the game and then Nicole yic who had 22 in the first half finishes with 35 points 16 rebounds a season load two assists uh but in the end I mean you were talking about it

Down the stretch there we saw some of those shots Nicole yic was making that’s what separates him from everybody else in the NBA I mean usually when he gets the pick and popping your throwback he’s looking for the pass off the cut he’s taking his time he’s he’s you know

Expecting the defense but tonight it was just catch and shoot which we haven’t seen much of that from Joker when he gets the ball thrown back to him at the top of the key he’s usually looking to pass and make somebody better but in the down the stretch Big Time Players make

Big time plays and that’s what he did tonight and Michael Porter Jr I love the disclaimer saying we needed offense but I think you’re that third guy I think you’re going to be a guy that’s going to get shots regardless of whether you need offense or not you’re starting to

Establish yourself as that third score on that team when they need it you’re efficient you can score from all three levels and that’s what you did in college so you’re just being your natural self again so I love the disclaimer saying we need offense but you getting yours up anyway do you

Getting yours up anyway bro just a if you’re a nuggets fan you’re going we win in there the T wvs gave us a big fight tonight but we had to win this game because we know how tough the western conference is you don’t want to be in

That last week of the Season saying we let one get away on the road for a team that was down a few men so we took care of business on the road if you’re the nuggets are you happy this game kind of played out the way it did

In a sense where it’s a tough game we go back to we talking about you supposed to put them to sleep yes you hit around the here you gave timberwol some excitement like wait a minute Jaden D shot the ball well we’re in this ball game uh Jamal Murray yes he didn’t have

A great game you were in the ball game with a Miss by your best player getting a good shot we’re looking at no towns no go bear you’re supposed to beat them up destroy them in the paint win a easy game 15 16 points not giving them life

If we’re the Wolves we’re feeling pretty good about ourselves yeah especially if you got to play them again and you got a full roster you’re going to go back to this game and say listen we were one shot away from winning these guys as banged up as we were so you know you

Take the win if you’re Denver but understand this is a game where you prob want Joker and Murray to sit out the last six seven minutes of this game and just rest that’s what you’re looking to get and to your point they played two more times March 29th so 10 days from

Now and then April 10th once again so that April 10th game if if you pull up the standings that that can go so many different ways I I remember a few years ago when the Spurs went from two to seven or two to n or two excuse me two

To eight cuz the last game of the season so that’s why this game tonight was so crucial to when it comes down to April 10th uh Denver improving to 21 and 15 on the road let’s hear from Michael Malone Michael a pretty interesting game you guys are up 18 the first half and

Have to hold on late I guess what’s what’s the first message to your team in the locker room after a game like that well you know you always take a division win and the finish of the road trip three and one is outstanding uh not always going to be pretty and I thought

In the first half we did a nice job third quarter to your point um just came out with no urgency and uh you know they become the aggressor and had us on our heels um so the message is what you got to play for 48 minutes right you just

Can’t go out there even though they have guys out with injury um especially on the road you know you have to put teams away and that’s something that we really have to get better at we’re building leads but now how do we sustain that lead and not just give it all right back

Um but to our credit in the fourth quarter obviously I think we went on the 18 to6 run Michael Porter Jr was a huge part of that um with with the shot making timely shot making and I don’t I don’t know uh did Anthony Edward score

In the fourth quarter I don’t think he did just um so I I think you know the defense 40% in the fourth quarter Anthony Edwards defense was great obviously too many thre down the stretch to keep them alive but um I’d much rather watch film and clean things up

After an ugly wind uh but you know we’ll take it man that’s a good team and uh anytime as I mentioned you know we’re tied with them and now you move a maybe a half game ahead of them that’s a good thing Michael they’re obviously missing a ton of their front Court including

Goar in that third quarter 17 points it was I think it was 12 until the last 40 seconds or so did you feel like you guys got away from anything in your offense or was there some stuff that they were really doing no they just they just

Became you know well one the turnovers me our turnovers were awful all night long but you know the first quarter was turnovers and offensive rebounds then we kind of cleaned up the glass after the first quarter but the whole game it was uh you know poor turnovers dribbling

Into crowds uh and they became very physical very aggressive and and that fueled their break that gave them momentum that gave them life so give them credit for that um then I think we kind of settled down and and um you know we’re able to pull pull out the win in

That fourth quarter but I would I wouldn’t say we got away from anything it was just giving them more credit to how hard and physical they were playing you mentioned the the defense on ant in the fourth quarter obviously he was he was rolling in the third quarter

What do you think you guys were able to do to help cool him off there yeah we started sending a body at him you know you know so obviously one guy trying to guard Anthony Edwards is a challenge and U you know for anybody in the the whole

NBA and so we started throwing bodies at him so now he’s playing against a double team get the ball out of his hands make somebody else make a play uh and to their credit you know other guys stepped up Connelly hits 4 threes obviously um

McDaniels hit uh 4 threes um but with a score like that you got to give him different looks and if the one-on-one courage isn’t working you got to be willing to send another body to get the ball out of his hands because uh that’s the best way to stop an elite scorer is

Just don’t let him get a shot up so I think that was probably the the big adjustment that we made that helped kind of cool him down a little bit you talk about so Michael Malone basically echoing what you told me about them not being happy hey they built up that lead

We got to put them away though remember we’re in the back watching the game they go up by 15 we walk in another room we start watching some of the other games come back I said whoa what happened that that fast and that’s what coach is

Talking about you gave them life so now coming down the stretch he’s got one stat wrong it felt like Mike connley made four threes but he hit that crucial three down the stretch then McDaniels makes the three now the momentum is going the right way one bad pass but

They almost got in that corner but they tapped the ball in to get foul those are the things coach Malone’s talking about put them to sleep don’t give them any life and now your stars can get some rest down the stretch versus playing 37 37 and 32 minutes habits at this stage

Of this season habits is what coach is talking about you want to have those habits you want to have that killer instinct you want those habits of winning basketball games and winning games the right way yes you won this game but when you get into the playoff what what’s inside you will reveal

Itself so as long as these guys got good habits and Coach stays on those guys about those habits then they’ll be fine but once you start to have bad habits those things will reveal those fails on the end of the season and in the playoffs so he’s really touching on the

Habits and just having good habits throughout the season so with the win uh Denver upping on Minnesota Minnesota now third uh in the Western Conference uh breaking barriers powered by Shopify start selling today at shopify.com TV five games in the NBA Jaylen green has been outstanding as of late uh for

The Houston Rockets he’s been lights out basketball both ends of the floor and better uh shot selection that’s what’s gotten better in my opinion glar and they’re winning if I’m not mistaken straight five or six winning six straight games in a row so usually when

A guy starts to go off a young guy starts to go off it takes away from winning he’s going off and they’re winning they let me know they’re owning something over there two and a half games out of the final playoff spot the Warriors better watch out the Warriors

And Lakers again Jaylen green matching a career high uh with I for that was so ni s deated an enem you destroy the tower Ally for a foreign spee spee speech of these days I’ll find my old I need a sword I’m just a person for B B

One of these days I’ll find my old en our is under attack leg

NBA Gametime reacts to Nikola Jokic 35 PTS & 16 REB as the Nuggets beat Timberwolves 115-112