Edwards, who’s been in the league five seasons, said Tuesday’s win was as special as any the Wolves have had in his career.
“That might’ve been the best game of my life that I’ve been a part of,” Edwards said. “Nikola Jokic, bruh, oh my god, he might be the best basketball I’ve ever seen close up. Besides myself to myself. Bro, he’s incredible. The MVP race is tough, man. I don’t know. He had 60. It’s crazy.”
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic finds room to shoot on his way to 61 points Tuesday against the Wolves. (David Zalubowski/The Associated Press)
Crazy was another good descriptor. The Wolves should have won the game multiple times before the second OT, but they couldn’t hold on to small leads late, they didn’t get great shots to win at the buzzer in regulation and overtime, and Edwards committed a turnover he’d like to have back when he threw an ill-advised cross-court pass with the Wolves ahead by two and 18.6 seconds to play in the first overtime. That allowed Jokic, who carried the scoring load with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. out, to tie the game and send it into another extra session after Rudy Gobert fouled out. Double him or not, he sliced up the Wolves.
“He’s doing all type of crazy [stuff] out there, bro,” said Randle, who had to guard Jokic with five fouls through the overtimes after Gobert exited. “I don’t even know how to explain it. He’s making tough shots. It feels like any time he gets it in the paint, he puts it on the rim, it’s so soft. The shot is extremely soft. It’s going to find its way through the hoop.”
Then the Wolves should’ve lost the game in the second overtime. Denver led 139-138 after Jokic hit one of two free throws following a Jaden McDaniels foul on, of all things, a jump ball with Jokic. That only came about after officials couldn’t determine who knocked the ball out of bounds after a missed Westbrook free throw moments earlier. Just one of many crazy footnotes in a night full of things that don’t normally happen in NBA games.
Edwards again turned the ball over on what could have been the Wolves’ final possession, but Conley chased down Westbrook, who went for a layup at the other end. He missed.