MINNEAPOLIS — The championship glory that Nikola Jokic brought to Denver three seasons ago feels like a distant memory after the Nuggets’ disappointing first-round playoff elimination.
The Minnesota Timberwolves knocked out Denver in six games, sending the team into an uncertain offseason filled with questions about whether they can compete for another title in the competitive Western Conference. For the first time since 2020, the Nuggets won’t be playing basketball in May.
“We just lost in the first round, so I think we are far away,” Jokic commented after recording 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in Thursday’s 110-98 series-ending defeat.
Minnesota’s defensive anchor Rudy Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, effectively contained Jokic throughout the series using his wingspan, tireless energy and smart positioning to limit the Serbian center’s impact.
While Jokic showed improvement in the final two contests, his running mate Jamal Murray struggled significantly. The All-Star guard, who appeared in a career-high 75 regular season games, was consistently stifled by Minnesota defender Jaden McDaniels. Murray managed only 4 of 17 field goal attempts in the finale with a team-worst minus-18 plus-minus rating.
“When I get the looks that I need, they don’t go down,” Murray explained. “So that’s the frustrating part, not showing up when my team needed me the most tonight. I feel like if I would’ve played a little bit better we would’ve had that game.”
Denver’s depth issues became apparent with key forwards Aaron Gordon sidelined for half the series due to a calf problem and Peyton Watson unavailable throughout with a hamstring injury. While Cameron Johnson provided a late scoring burst with 27 points in Game 5, the Nuggets lacked sufficient offensive contributions beyond their two stars against a Timberwolves squad also dealing with backcourt injuries. The trademark pick-and-roll chemistry between Jokic and Murray was notably missing.
“They were missing a bunch of guys tonight, and they still won. So did we need them? Definitely, but if they are not here, we cannot think, ‘If, if, if, if,’” Jokic noted.
Denver led the NBA in offensive efficiency during the regular season and scored under 100 points just twice. Against Minnesota’s aggressive defense, they failed to reach triple digits three times in six games.
“It’s a miss-or-make league. We couldn’t make any shots,” Jokic observed. “I’m confident in my and Jamal’s two-man game.”
The three-time MVP, who will begin his 12th NBA season in 2026-27, becomes eligible for another maximum contract extension this summer. When questioned about his future plans, his response was immediate.
“I still want to be Nuggets forever,” he declared.
Head coach David Adelman lacks similar job security after completing his first full campaign. Could organizational changes be coming to Denver?
“That’s not my decision,” Jokic responded. “Definitely, if we were in Serbia, we would all be fired.”
However, the center known as “The Joker” expressed strong support for his coach.
“It’s not his fault we couldn’t rebound. It’s not his fault we couldn’t catch the ball very well. There is nothing to blame David Adelman. It was all us,” Jokic stated.
The disappointing finish came after Denver closed the regular season with 12 consecutive victories.
“Very disappointing end to the season. I’m the head coach. I take responsibility for things that didn’t go well here,” Adelman said.
