A tough playoff series wrapped up Thursday night for Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets, ending with a 110-98 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6. Even with Minnesota missing key players, the Timberwolves pulled off the series victory and sent the Nuggets packing early.
Jokić looked irritated throughout the matchup, getting into a few heated moments with Timberwolves players across the six games. After the final buzzer, he spoke candidly, saying the Nuggets are still “far away” from competing for another championship. When asked about potential roster moves, he noted it wasn’t his call, then added with typical bluntness, “If we were in Serbia, we would all get fired.”
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Jokić delivered strong numbers on the stat sheet, putting up at least 24 points in every game of the series. But the floor action had its rough patches, including a scuffle with Julius Randle in Game 4 and a shove on Jaylen Clark in Game 6. The Nuggets also missed Aaron Gordon for several games, and the team clearly plays better with him healthy and active.
The Timberwolves dealt with their own injuries, winning Game 6 without Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu. It was a gritty win for Minnesota, who brought plenty of energy and words during the series. Jaden McDaniels called out Denver’s defense after Game 2, and head coach Chris Finch later said his team was fired up after the Nuggets “chose” them as first-round opponents.
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The Timberwolves’ social media crew even got in on the fun following the elimination. For the Nuggets, this marks their first first-round exit since the 2021-22 season. That year, they bounced back to win it all. While a similar turnaround is possible next season, some adjustments will likely be needed to get back to the top.