How Anthony Edwards & Timberwolves STUNNED Nikola Jokic & Nuggets in Game 7 | Hoops Tonight

[@nickwilson7241]

Been seeing so many clips of "fouls" that were called on Rudy and KAT that just absolutely were terrible calls. Super great to see that Minnesota was able to stay cool even when getting bad calls and the aggressive foul baiting and flopping wasn't rewarded as much as it sometimes is

[@tompratt7125]

Wolves got 30 free throw attempts to the Nuggets 16. If there was an officiating issue it certainly wasn't tilted v the Wolves. It's hilarious to me always how some fans are so wildly biased that they're able to will themselves to believe the exact opposite of what actually happened.

[@penn0116]

​@@tompratt7125 Free throws are your barometer? That's dumb. Wolves were MUCH more aggressive and driving, hence more shooting fouls. Wolves got called for a TON of fouls, but a lot less were on shooters. Wolves also had more awful calls go against them on both ends. Don't be a blind homer and base your opinion on a box score.

[@abouttime2569]

@@tompratt7125 The number of free throw attempts shouldn't be your standard for finding out bad officiating. Stop with that nonsense.

[@jjstraka1982]

​@@tompratt7125 Jaden literally didn't TOUCH Murray on a foul he got 3 shots on.

[@miklac90]

@@penn0116 Nuggets had more points in the paint 42 to 34. Both teams ended with roughly the same number of fouls (21 to 23) but the wolves got 30 FT to 16 FT. And 15 of those came in the 4 qtr vs 2 for nuggets when the game was close. Bad officiating goes both ways but to say wolves got the short end of stick feels reaching to me when the numbers indicate otherwise.

[@zain4070]

A wise man once said “YOU KNOW THEY GOT KD BUT WE GOT JADEN MCDANIELS”

[@Eric-u8i]

Ant is such a character for pumping Jaden in front of KAT (like at end of Nuggets series). One, he's trying to get Jaden pumped up, but also, I suspect he wants KAT to compete to be Batman's Robin.

[@ahmedguled7828]

@@Eric-u8iwtf are you talking about Lmaoo

[@leroyduncan9368]

Jason, ive literally never met anyone that doesnt absolutely love Ant. Dude has IT

[@zebo11]

That waving to the crowd was kinda lame (immature) Mostly am learning to like him~~

[@MajinVegito100]

@@zebo11that shit was funny if you not a Denver fan lol

[@ryanwall1780]

​@@zebo11Personality in sports isn't a bad thing.

[@smokeyedwards6637]

Give it time they will. Just like the did Steph.

[@MJisGoat797]

his kid looking down on him in heaven saying 'why dad?'

[@dwrev462]

Minnesota has a Batman a Robin and an Alfred that's enough to beat The Joker.

[@zazzyzhai]

they also have the KATwoman

[@giannisksanthopoulos4300]

Y'all making Minnesota like they are superteams or something...

[@shazbot76]

​@@giannisksanthopoulos4300 maybe you'll realize how super they are after they beat the Mavericks in 4 or 5. This team is special.

[@Obkool27]

The Timberwolves are a superteam​@@giannisksanthopoulos4300

[@subtlefps]

Love when KAT gets the ball in the post vs reggie jackson. Rather than taking a dribble or two to back him down like he normally does and give the defense time to react, he instantly goes to the spin move and drives the basket. he was very intentional and didnt hesitate. Love that

[@stevenjones926]

I love the way you break down the game in a practical and technical sense. Live tv never get this in depth with your level of analysis and thoughtfulness

[@Shawnpee3496]

He’s now my favorite player too. Go T-Wolves!

[@MassGainz]

jason & colin not too long ago were saying KAT should be traded 😂

[@agachill5000]

Yeah dudes the biggest flip flopper it's obnoxious

[@Krazyman5150ninja]

I would still trade them. He's the weak link on this roster. Gets paid too much for all the mistakes he makes. They lucky Gobert sealed the game... couldve went either way.

[@luvaznsandrice]

If KAT made a team friendly deal it wouldn’t be bad at all. But a max contract? If we win a ring he’s going to be asking for nothing but a max contract.

[@bossaudio12]

​@@Krazyman5150ninja decent trolling

[@Krazyman5150ninja]

@@bossaudio12 who trolling? Gobert turnaround shot .. that backboard shot.. and his freethrows took the life out that nuggets team.

[@ggwh3art796]

really love how Ant was playing after missed an open 3 and airballed after dancing, he played defense and a transition 2, really mature kinda game

[@AbcDino843]

When you look at the game as a whole, that's not what happened, that's just the bandwagon narrative surrounding him right now. He used up 24 shots last night, hit only 8, that was actually terrible. He was mature enough not to embarrass himself any further.

[@ggwh3art796]

@@AbcDino843 it's acceptable as no 1 option in a team, can't imagine if he hesitates to take those shots, and he was looking for teammates facing double. What I remember is he hesitated a 3 and passed last summer in Team USA, I guess it's the final minute in their last game. That sucks cuz he obviously was the best one in that team and not taking the shot.

[@Okkotsu86275]

​@@AbcDino843You do realize they are other elements to basketball besides scoring?

[@Lonzetta_3laama]

I was able to get courtside tickets to this game. Incredible experience seeing the Joker / Ant in person , amazing atmosphere for a high stakes basketball game.

[@kultan2000]

Nice

[@tompratt7125]

I think the biggest factor by far was that the Nuggets just had nothing left in the tank in the second half. Why? One reason is they were playing the second of two very physical series v the Lakers and Wolves. Denver has no one but themselves to blame for that by blowing a 20 point lead v the Spurs to end the season and thus inexplicable throwing away the #1 seed. I knew they wouldn't repeat after that loss. The other reason was their lack of depth v a very deep Wolves team. The starters had to carry an immense burden all year because they got next to nothing from the bench. Finally caught up to them.

[@indugoo62298]

Funny that nuggets made 1 run against bottom seeds and yall started acting like they were this all time team. I wonder why that happened?

[@perkio30]

They were talking crazy 😂

[@montyq9857]

Tbf they were cooking all the good teams in the regular season too. Timberwolves went up another level no one expected. Unless you gon sit here and tell me you had t wolves going to the wcf before the playoffs 🤨

[@ragewayz900]

@@montyq9857I did cus I had them next to the nuggets since january

[@skylertaylor7283]

I have some troubling news for you, many times the number one seed will play lower seeds

[@mabellemarinas]

@@skylertaylor7283 but not usually in the conference finals and finals like they did last year. Both the Lakers and Heat were play-in teams.

[@Murali_bala13]

Excellent review of the series Jason, this is the best post series review I've seen....👍 Keep it up!... Looking forward to more from the next round

[@Dustyphoto915]

The talk about Jokic doesn’t equal what we see. You have to collect rings to be in the greats list. He has collected three media choice awards. He received them because HE IS EXCEPTIONAL. But you don’t give people credit for dynasties with one title. He needs like four more to be in the convo. And blaming team construction don’t cut it.

[@WhyYouMadd40]

Facts they jumping thru loops to find excuses 😂😂😂

[@robertj8451]

Ant might be the best leader in basketball right now. His ability to push his team mates but also be the first to celebrate them is impressive.

[@taylor7264]

b4 the szn i said denvers window was closing and every1 said I was crazy. nuggets are still a rly good team but the league keeps getting better

[@kalenmarshall8692]

How is there window closing lol. This season is the biggest anomaly since 2004 pistons. Every big name is bounced in the playoffs besides Luka. The way Denver lost can be fixed. They lost their poise but when was locked in was clearly the better team. As long as you have the best player in the series you always have a chance. Joker is by far the best player in the world. They fix some things there easily in the mix and most likely will still be favored next year

[@taylor7264]

@@kalenmarshall8692 they'll be contenders next yr i agree. but i think min okc are almost certainly going to getter every year from here on out and you still have luka and memphis etc... this yr was a harder path than last yr for den and it will only get harder n harder for denver my money is on okc for the future of the west tbh. i juts like their roster construction and their war chest of picks

[@palermus2]

I’ve been so sad about this game/series I didn’t open KZbin until also 4pm today to avoid seeing your podcast… and here it is just uploaded.

[@Mikeyboy779]

Same man I avoided social media altogether

[@peytonlong5573]

They ain’t have to do a whole lot if 3 starters gonna go to Cancun early and the bench be worthless, they gotta retool drastically a 30/20 game from Jokic should never end up being a loss

[@Reedinho]

Anyone who has ever been chewed out during a film session had flashbacks when Jason was pointing out Jokic's defense.

[@TrevorLaw-kc7dw]

A big adjustment this whole series is Jaden McDaniels on MPJ. He completely NEUTRALIZED him. You think he had a bad series but McDaniels effectively is Gobert on the perimeter, he just makes the Nuggets refuse to pass to MPJ because McDaniels is so effective at running around screens and contesting shots.

[@kratiksolanki9894]

I am honestly facinated and scared by the idea of an engaged nikola jokic who's ego got hurt and will be hearing all the talk throughout the summer. Its like the 22 steph, 12 lebron or 09 kobe where they are not there as a sportsmen but to remind everyone why they are thought of as some of the greatest players of all time

[@M37_jase]

You mean a 3x MVP was tired and couldn’t make back to back Finals. But when LeBron made 8 straight Finals it was no big deal.

[@infinitywar3065]

Yeah in a weak eastern Conference

[@hilamadventures4060]

​@@infinitywar3065 Weak eastern conf so tell me why Boston hasn't reached 4 straight, explain why Giannis,KD,Embid ,Butler haven't able to duplicate that success. Stop hating on the dude because we'll u don't like how he walks or talks..learn to appreciate a great player regardless of your feelings. That is a person who understands basketball.

[@WhyYouMadd40]

Facts 💯

[@genikhairav7662]

@@hilamadventures4060 who was the best player Bron faced in the East?

[@giannisksanthopoulos4300]

Excuses for Jokic all day long

[@not_stephen_a_smith849]

aaron gordon, christian braun, MPJ .. were black holes offensivlely. bruce brown would have given that depth and offensive punch

[@leroyduncan9368]

Laker fans, youre welcome!!!!

[@indugoo62298]

Thank you!!!!

[@AbcDino843]

@@indugoo62298 Nuggets lost in a crazy 7 game series, but they still your daddy.

[@uprlvl]

@49:06 What is that, you asked Jason?......That's the Olè Defense being executed 😂

[@FAWolterink]

Love your content. Always listening. The film study could be more smooth though. Maybe edit it before the show? Keep up providing that in in depth basketball analysis!

[@deddiev1718]

Eddie Johnson said it best. “That’s twice the Joker has lost a game 7 in the playoffs on his home court. Riddle me that

[@hilamadventures4060]

Yes dollar dame beat him some years ago..

[@WhyYouMadd40]

Facts plus he Bern swept 2x times too in his prime 😂

[@johnbarkley925]

Jokic went for 29/11/8 on 50%fg against the best defense that has four all NBA first team caliber defenders. Steph Curry got shutdown by the Lakers in 2023 against a backcourt of Dlo and Reaves guarding him. Meanwhile Jokic puts the Nuggets in position to almost win the series against a team with the beat playoff defense in more than a decade. - LeBron' a playoff career is essentially getting the best possible teammates (Wade, a former champion and finals MVP, Kyrie the best point guard in the East at the time and AD a guy argued as a top 5 player in the league in 2019). Jokic hasn't won as much as them but he also wasn't privileged like them to have the best supporting cast and playing their prime in weaker conferences.

[@calmdownbruh8518]

​@@hilamadventures4060 CJ*

[@MJisGoat797]

Jokic went against the top defense in the league over the past decade, Ant went against an above average defense this year. Ant didn't play Jokic to a draw, he drew an easier matchup and Jokic's numbers were still better.

[@ny3793]

Ant plays defense Jokic is a traffic cone

[@AbcDino843]

@@ny3793 Ant chucked 34 balls last night, he shot 23%.

[@ItachiX11]

@@AbcDino843nice job adding a phantom 10 shots. He shot 6/24

[@AbcDino843]

@@ItachiX11 my bad, the percentage though is still terrible.

[@simba6772]

@@AbcDino843Ain’t no my bad! You got exposed for lacking knowledge of the sport! This is what’s wrong with Denver fans, most of y’all are tennis fans disguised as nba fans. The lack of knowledge for the game is very prevalent in y’all fan base. The game is 2 sided which is the reason wolves beat y’all. Ant a way better defender than Jokic. Jokic who y’all gloat outscored him, cost them defensively multiple positions. Scoring means nothing when defending is terrible.

[@taylor7264]

bragging rights list matters most! we dont do theoretical basketball! hopefully the "in a vacuum" list will b based on actual performance n not potential

[@rick510s]

What about the take where Jokic version is better than Steph or KD??? 😭😭💀💀

[@Mikeyboy779]

Definitely way better than kd arguable about steph

[@johnbarkley925]

Jokic went for 29/11/8 on 50%fg against the best defense in years. Steph Curry got shutdown by the Lakers in 2023 against a backcourt of Dlo and Reaves guarding him. Meanwhile Jokic puts the Nuggets in position to almost win the series against a team with the beat playoff defense in more than a decade. - LeBron' a playoff career is essentially getting the best possible teammates (Wade, a former champion and finals MVP, Kyrie the best point guard in the East at the time and AD a guy argued as a top 5 player in the league in 2019). Jokic hasn't won as much as them but he also wasn't privileged like them to have the best supporting cast and playing their prime in weaker conferences.

[@jaecrawford9691]

The film just confirmed to me that Denver sold this game. They missed wipe open shots and passes and their defense was atrocious. Not getting to the level of the ball on the weak side, Jamal Murray was terrible helping as the low man or as the X close our man. They almost looked like they’d rather go home than play anymore

[@hilamadventures4060]

So u think Denver threw the game? U think Mike Malone & Jamal sold the game.. LMOA..

[@jaecrawford9691]

@@hilamadventures4060 that’s not what sold means in basketball. Sold means they choked under pressure

[@taylor7264]

NO WAY! defense and shooting?!?! nobody ever said those were jokic's issues 😂 add in rim pressure off the dribble too. thats been 1 of my critiques of jokic as a playmaker. drawing 2/3 guys on a drive is something all the best playmakers do well except joker. i always thought a guy deserves more credit creating shots that way then playing from the high post (in singe coverage when hes up there) and hitting mpj off a pin down or something. so I COULD say told you so on all of these points that you have FINALLY acknowledged are weaknesses for jokic lol its crazy bc jokic has shot it above 36% from 3 3/9 yrs in his career. that includes spot up 3s. and never at volume averaging under 4 3PA/game in every yr of his career. so not weird that his jump shooting wasnt great this yr. thats normal jokic but tatum is supposed to be this "bad pull up 3pt shooter" but hes been top 5 in the league in pull up 3pt % 3/7 yrs of his career and 1 of those yrs he was rookie on a team where his shot diet was almost completely spot up 3s this is just another example of how players are given grace tatum doesnt get. #callitbothways

[@johnbarkley925]

Jokic was better than any other player in the league could be in this series. If you put AD or LeBron on this Nuggets team they would have gotten swept. Jokic went for 29/11/8 on 50%fg against the best defense in year that has four all NBA first team caliber defenders. Steph Curry got shutdown by the Lakers in 2023 against a backcourt of Dlo and Reaves guarding him. Meanwhile Jokic puts the Nuggets in position to almost win the series against a team with the beat playoff defense in more than a decade.

[@taylor7264]

@@johnbarkley925 i never said jok wasnt a great player but i always considered giannis a better player bc he plays great defense. protects the rim. pressures the rim off the dribble. is a better scorer in terms of being able to do it at volume and efficiency w consistency. KAT could never in a million yrs gaurd giannis as well as jokic. none of the wolves bigs wouldve done as well guarding giannis as they did joker. and giannis is a good passer. not jokic good but goo jok is just a tiny bit behind giannis all time imo too. but jokic is a great player. never said he wasnt and if some1 disagrees w me and thinks jok > giannis i wouldnt say thats crazy. there is an argument for that. whats frustrating is trying to make an argument for giannis and ppl respond saying "no jokic a great shooter and a good defender" etc...thats just not true. and the playmaking point abt creating shots for others off the dribble is a nuanced basketball point. its abt who is rly created the advantage. no doubt a healthy amount of jokic assists come on plays he didnt create the advantage for his team. and thats what lowers the impact of his passing imo. hes still an all time great floor general but these are the reasons i have giannis ahead

[@johnbarkley925]

@@taylor7264 Taylor I don't disagree that Giannis is an all time great and that he has a lot of strengths that could help any team in the playoffs. But I don't think that against this specific Wolves team he would be better suited than Jokic. Here are the reasons why: 1) Giannis is a great defender, that is true but his strength on that end comes more as a cleaner of his teammates mistakes than either a rim protector (ala AD) or perimeter defender (Jrue etc.). He usually does not defend the other teams great perimeter players like Jimmy Butler, KD and Ant. So in this series the Nuggets still would have no one to guard Ant. 2) while I agree that Giannis is a great scorer (a 30ppg scorer) I think you have to recognize that in the fourth quarter teams that have great half court defenses (the Heat or Raptors) can slow down Giannis enough to limit his impact in that timespan. If a team with Adebayo could exploit Giannis limited shooting and limit driving angles, you don't think that a team with Rudy, Towns, McDaniels, Ant would be suited to clog driving lanes even more effectively than what the Miami Heat tend to do ? 3) Even if Giannis had success in rim attacking against this Wolves defense, his lack of shot creation (mid range, post up, three) still wouldn't help in changing the series outcomes as Giannis, kcp, Gordon wouldn't be great shooters and Mpj can be taken out of the series with phisicality.

[@taylor7264]

@@johnbarkley925 first of all i appreciate this respectful basketball convo. salute to you. secondly my argument was abt jokic v giannis in general not on in the context of denver but ill go there w you: 1) giannis' role might change in another situation so you can't simply transfer his production right? but i agree giannis is mostly a clean up man - but the way he does that is by protecting the rim. how else does he clean stuff up? hes not a perimeter defender i agree there too. so either way no great match up for ant but at least giannis wouldve been there to clean up mistakes in a way jokic wasnt. thats w rim protection and defensive play making in general - helping and recovering over long distances, jumping in passing lanes etc. he also guards bigs 1v1 better whether thats naz or kat or rudy.. i believe all that wouldve made denver a significantly stronger defense 2/3) im not 100% sold that giannis instead of jokic makes denver a "better offense" if you define that by ppp when they were clicking in this series. but i do think it makes them a much more versatile offense. giannis is capable of beating his man off the dribble, in the post, as a pnr ballhandler, pnr screener, lob threat, n as a short roll scorer and passer. wolves dont have the personnel to stop any of these actions. none of their bigs can guard giannis as well as they guarded jokic. n giannis pressures the rim in all these actions which dictates that help come from rudy which opens the lob to ag (making him less of a spacing liability). if mike malone had all of giannis' tools to counter min's defensive gameplan den might have won. it was tougher on denver bc jokic basically only has 2 speeds on offense: #1(i think his best skill) operating in the short roll. hes nice with his shot making there and playmaking throwing lobs to ag and finding shooters depending on how the defense rotates. the problem is if you prevent the pocket pass hes not threat on the roll bc hes not lob threat or pick n pop threat - giannis was 27% from 3 this szn and jokic was 23% from 3 in this series (so denvers spacing doesnt change either way) #2 over the top shot making in 1v1 coverage in which case hes doesnt actually lose his man so either hes forced into a tough shot like kat n naz did to him over and over or he starts hitting and you have to send a double. howver its much easier to rotate behind a double bc essentially wolves would be compromising their own defense which allows them to plan their rotations ahead of time you might say well if min cant stop the giannis actions 1v1/2v2 then they'll most likely start doubling giannis too. thats true. difference is giannis is a threat to get down hill from the perimeter. so if they double giannis above the 3 there's much more space to play 4 on 3 on the back side. if they don't double that high he'll get downhill towards the rim and min defense wont be able to preplan their rotations. and again if he pressures the rim he boosts ag's value. if they send help from any1 else its a great open look from 3. kcp can shoot too btw the issue doubling jokic is he's only a threat from the post and doesnt pressure the rim so min was allowed to double from the high side which allowed rudy to stay in help by the rim which shuts down the ag lob (their only source of rim pressure when jamal is off). and bc ag cant shoot its even easier to rotate when jokic passes out of the double. re miami - giannis was injured and bam is a much more mobile big and is therefore a tougher matchup for gainnis than gobert or kat or naz. can teams limit giannis impact? for sure. we saw that in '22 v celtics too. he still went for 34/15/7 on 45% shooting w 2 stocks per game. thats a bad series for giannis if healthy. end of the day wolves limited jokers impact too so thats a wash i think theyre close. id rather have giannis if im denver but i can agree to disagree

[@taylor7264]

@@johnbarkley925 check out the new mavs wolves film. look how min struggled to operate on the backside on bltiz's on luka HIGH. whereas wolves rotated v easily off jokic doubles from th ehigh side. look how much more space min has to cover in the mavs film

[@DavidLightbringer]

"Why Jokic and Luka are the best two players remaining" WAH WUN would like to hear a little respect for Antman, who is better than Luka and who outplayed Jokic

[@DavidLightbringer]

Edwards did a better job of controlling the game last night than Jokic, and that's what matters. He did it with leadership, defense, and poise. Never for Ed the shit, kept setting up his teammates, erased Murray in the second half.

[@DavidLightbringer]

defense maters. Ant is a top tier defender, Jokic and Luka are liabilities. We need to count defense too

[@TequilaThursdays]

Agreed. Jokic is great but I hate when media analysts act like there is a huge gap between him and other players. To me best player in the world are like Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Giannis, guys who are not limited to one side of the ball.

[@emilioreyes4159]

Ant is not better than Luka, he's not really close If you're still saying Luka is a liability in defence you're just excluding yourself as someone who doesn't watch the games

[@TequilaThursdays]

@@emilioreyes4159 sounds like your saying defense doesn't matter. Ant is closer to surpassing Luka who is playing better defense this post season. But you ignore his liability on defense which is asinine when comes to these discussions on what makes one player better than the other.

[@user-vn5kd1el5w]

Loved the film study! Great work! I do think the Wolves were the better and deeper team at the end whereas the Nuggets weren’t as good as they were last year. Jokic is still clearly a top 20 player all time but this does put a pause on some of the top 10-15 conversations which he was threatening to enter this post season. I hope that he wins more titles and climbs up the all time rankings but there are some parallels between him and Giannis who himself was expected to go on a dynastic run with the bucks.

[@taranroyyuru5219]

Jason I’m not gonna to let u off the hook with the “jokic era” . Yea he has been the best player for the past 3 years but it was way too early. We was saying the same thing with Giannis. I still think nuggets will get championships and I’m not trying to hate but it was just too early

[@ryanmirdadian9850]

Completely agreed. He also said that he was better than prime Steph, Kobe, and LeBron. This was the most hyped I’ve ever seen Jason be on anyone off of one championship when he claims that multiple matter 😂 he was ready to put Jokic over Steph all time I promise you that

[@taylor7264]

wrd jokic n giannis are neck n neck all time rn

[@ryanmirdadian9850]

@@taylor7264 agreed

[@johnbarkley925]

Jokic went for 29/11/8 on 50%fg against the best defense in year that has four all NBA first team caliber defenders. Steph Curry got shutdown by the Lakers in 2023 against a backcourt of Dlo and Reaves guarding him. Meanwhile Jokic puts the Nuggets in position to almost win the series against a team with the beat playoff defense in more than a decade.

[@taylor7264]

some pretty weak screens from den in the 4th. no shoulder rattling picks like game 3

[@MastermindRell]

I think the biggest flaw for Denver was not having any true back ups for Joker and AG. Malone was scared to utilize Jordan.

[@Tjbensinnington]

There's nothing more I'm depth than this. And factual than this. So good

[@coreyking5619]

3 Problems with the Nuggets in this series: 1. Inability to neutralize Wolves defensive intensity and ball pressure 2. Too many missed open jump shots 3. A very unproductive bench which put too much on Jokic and Murray. Overall, Nuggets defense was stellar. MPJ was a no show

[@Timur21]

Also, sometimes nuggets offense gets stagnant. Jokic gets double teamed, he kicks it out, they either shoot a 3 or give it back to him, double team, kicks it out, end of shot clock, chuck a 3.. other players need to drive and kick as well, to create some movement

[@giannisksanthopoulos4300]

MPJ had 6 attempts from 2's And you expect to be 100% huh? Why wasn't Jokic or Murray 100%? Why was Jokic 20% from 3's So basically you expect 6 of 8 players to shoot at 100% But not for Jokic and Murray?

[@playboi._.dj1]

i thought i couldn’t find the video for a sec. i was waiting on this

[@chinolittle1292]

All the jokic fanboys scrambling…calling them an all time team & all time offense & they won 1 ring against a way inferior team

[@PhillyP75]

Jokic needs to go back to work on his 3-pointers , we remember last year him shooting those 3-pointers over AD in the WCF and without that dimension makes his offensive game a little easier to defend… 0-7 to start was rough and I think he was mid 20s percent from 3… They will be back next year but they do need an upgrade on their bench.

[@hilamadventures4060]

When your legs are weak there is no lift on the shot..from that far.

[@kennybobby201]

Ant is everyones fav player now dude.

[@yahcrack]

BANDWAGON

[@M.Đ-z4u]

what did he acomplish?

[@kennybobby201]

@@M.Đ-z4u ant is an amazing player and fun to watch. Not sure what else you are looking for here.

[@kennybobby201]

@@yahcrack nah my team is the warriors, the nba is a superstar league which is why playoffs are fun to watch with or without my team in it. U know in like 2017 ish people used to say i am bandwagon fan and maybe there is truth to that, but also i lived like 5 miles from oracle. There is no rule that says you are only allowed to like NBA players on your team.

[@KxngAntTae]

@@kennybobby201What I’m sayin NBA is a players league most ppl root for a team based off who they fav player is.

[@GhostriderBA877]

Great breakdown

[@samuelmiller6376]

I felt the refs missed some calls that should've gone timberwolves way so credit to them for keeping composure and not complaining

[@Libertarian_Neighbor]

Great game. Could’ve done without the immature self alley oop by McDaniels at the end. The young guys need to respect the game and their opponent. The NBA is a small family. No need for that stuff.

[@wy100101]

The young teams are going to get better, and Joker is getting to that age when big centers slow down even more, and everyone is going to try throwing big bodies at him. I don't know how much room they have to do anything with the roster given they are a 2nd apron team currently. It is going to be really hard to reload.

[@AbcDino843]

But his main strength is in things that don't require athleticism, so on paper at least, he might have a longer shelf life than most. I share the concern regarding the roster. They need REALLY good perimeter shooters.

[@wy100101]

@@AbcDino843 People say players don't rely on athleticism all the time and they should have a longer career, but it rarely plays out that way. Maybe Joker will prove me wrong, but I honestly think his game can't afford for him to slow down too much.

[@AbcDino843]

@@wy100101 I don't know, it certainly seems like the more athletic ones get injured more. I don't see his passing suffering, or his ability to read plays. His game is not excessively based on driving, and he's already slower than most. If he does slow down, he can always put more emphasis on the 3-point shooting. I think the greater risk for him is losing interest in basketballs sooner than others.

[@Dustyphoto915]

@@AbcDino843He still has to run up and down the court. He will be getting older but the 22 yo’s are 22. So they will be running and he will be playing catch up. I feel like his wall is coming soon. He has been doing this a long time already.

[@AbcDino843]

@@Dustyphoto915 I don't see it. He's the fourth in the league by minutes played this season, and he still managed to hit his numbers and win the MVP. That does not scream "wall" to me. Last night he got tired for sure, but he played one minute short of the full game, and he was doubled the whole time. He is in a tremendous shape for a guy his size. Remember what Draymond Green said about him after playing him. That's not to say that the Nuggets can't run him into the ground with the output they're requiring of him, but it's a reasonable expectation that he will get a relief in the future, like another center that can actually play so he can rest during a game.

[@omergabriel6065]

Mailbeg - Hey Jason, love the show! Love your way of coverage of the NBA when you go into the nitpick greedy stuff, but also try to keep an eye on the big picture of how the game of basketball actually feels like, listening to your shows reminds me a lot of the way it used to feel when I was playing Do you think other teams would try to replicate Minnesota two big bigs lineups and construction in order to deal with jokic in the future I mean I can see Boston trying to go after another Big big to be able in the future to match up better with Minnesota and Denver The next years, what do you think ?

[@Shawnpee3496]

Jokic’s Jumper abandoned him in this series just like AD’s Jumper did a year before.

[@subtlefps]

Two things Denver should have done from a MN PoV -Rest Joker for even just 2-3 mins in the 3rd when MN is making a run. Your bench/new look might at least get a bucket with the energy and Joker might have been able to do enough to win in the 4th with more energy -Stop doubling ANT later in the game after its apparent he is missing shots (I get he might have just started making them like he mostly did in the 3rd/4th, but still, worth a try)

[@anthemproducer2030]

Joker is not in good enough shape to be playing 175 games over 2 yrs the way Denver plays through him! That’s why his numbers are down. These are deep taxing runs and you’ve gotta to be in top top shape to continually win year after year.

[@taylor7264]

agreed den doesnt have a ton of ball handling. and its harder for denvers perimeter guys to create dribble penetration when jok n ag dont space the floor either

[@yahcrack]

LAST YEAR EVERYONE SAID THE NUGGETS HAD THE BEST CONSTRUCTED ROSTER AND NOW JOKIC DOESN’T HAVE HELP?

[@Jsch23]

yes.

[@jeffreyware7808]

When players don’t play at the same level every series😱.

[@stufffromplaces5045]

Nuggets fan here. It's not so much that Jokic doesn't have help and much more that he didn't get help. Even on open looks the rest of the team were in the drain this post season. The team was gassed and didn't deserve to go further this year. I'll be cheering for the wolves the rest of way. Excited for this rivalry to continue next season!

[@aleksandarjovanovic8888]

That was last year. Since then Denver lost 2 best bench players and hasn't replaced them while every other team has added significantly to their roster. Last year Denver had Bruce and Wolves didn't have Nas and Wolves barely escaped the sweep. If outside Jokic and Jamal the supporting cast scores 21 points in a game what should people say? Jokic never played with an all-star, Ant on the other hand has in his team an all-star, DPOY and 6th man of the year. That's why Wolves can win even when Ant shoots 6/24.

[@Dustyphoto915]

He just gets passes man. It is what is is. He’s so nonchalant. Like how could you put your unreasonable expectations on him?

[@infinity558mippy8]

Been saying for the longest Jokic wasnt leagues ahead of everyone else is he the best yes but people were saying "nuggets are a dynasty and jokic will be a top 10 player all time" after 1 Ring

[@johnbarkley925]

Jokic went for 29/11/8 on 50%fg against the best defense that has four all NBA first team caliber defenders. Steph Curry got shutdown by the Lakers in 2023 against a backcourt of Dlo and Reaves guarding him. Meanwhile Jokic puts the Nuggets in position to almost win the series against a team with the beat playoff defense in more than a decade. - LeBron' a playoff career is essentially getting the best possible teammates (Wade, a former champion and finals MVP, Kyrie the best point guard in the East at the time and AD a guy argued as a top 5 player in the league in 2019). Jokic hasn't won as much as them but he also wasn't privileged like them to have the best supporting cast and playing their prime in weaker conferences.

[@Conk_23]

They choked. Enough said. Wolves deserve all the praise today, don’t get me wrong. But this one is square at Jokic’s feet. Have to close that out.

[@AbcDino843]

Not at Jokic's feet at all. He generated so many opportunities, but only two people were scoring, him and Murray.

[@Conk_23]

@@AbcDino843 that’s a wild perspective to me. Jokic deservedly received most of the credit when those same guys hit shots last year to win a chip. All time greats do not get the luxury of blaming the “others” when they do not come through.

[@bossaudio12]

Found the casual water brain take

[@AbcDino843]

@@Conk_23 What is wild is to hold Jokic liable for his teammates missing shots. He doesn't control their hands, all he can do is create the opportunities for them, which he did. Also, he didn't receive credit for them scoring, they received the credit and their stats went up, he received the credit for passing and playmaking. He is rightfully a three-time MVP precisely because he carries his team more than any other player in the league. Also, Jokic did not blame anyone.

[@M.Đ-z4u]

😂 he had 35pts and 19rebounds.porter,gordon and kcp like 15 combined

[@JFraser426]

mailbag question: hey jason, big fan of the work you’re doing. you’ve really helped me expand my knowledge on the NBA and basketball in general! Question about the knicks: On sunday you said they should go and get a real #2 shot creator to lessen the burden on Brunson. If so, why don’t you think Julius Randle is capable of filling that role?

[@johnbarkley925]

Jokic isn't the reason why the Nuggets lost. The Nuggets lost because of 4 reasons 1) no backup center for Denver. This means that Naz Reid can dominate the bench unit and Jokic is forced to play more and be gassed. 2) Mpj averaged 13 pts on 38% shooting when he is supposed to be a 20 points 50/40/90 player. 3) Murray has been terrible in these playoffs even though he played good in game 7. 20 pts on 40/30/80 splits aren't enough to beat a stacked Wolves team. 4) the second, third, fourth and fifth best players in this series were all T Wolves (1. Jokic, 2. Ant 3. Kat 4. Rudy Gobert 5. Jaden McDaniels 6. Gordon 7. Naz Jokic averaged 29/11/8 against the Wolves on 50%fg. This is arguably the best defensive team since the 04 Pistons with 3 all stars in it. LeBron in his prime (2011- 20') has never faced a similar type of defense with 6'8 + defenders and rim deterrents at every position. (McDaniels, Walker, Ant, Gobert, Naz etc )

[@juncarlsanez66]

This game 6 and 7 loss of the nuggets to the wolves is reminiscent of warriors vs Cavs game 6 & 7. At that time Cavs solidified the momentum to win it all at game 7

[@sugarbear1225]

Great analysis my friend💯

[@mikemavis2989]

LeBron is sipping a glass of merlot smoking a cigar with Nick wright

[@taylor7264]

autopsy was dope. the film hits different after a series result is cemented

[@AbcDino843]

The dumb narrative emerging from last game is how Ant had an amazing game, where he thoughtfully stepped back and did what his team needed him to do. The stats tell a different story. The dude played 44 minutes, had a 25% shooting from the field and 20% shooting for three. He made 24 shots and only scored 16 points. He did play good defense but, on the whole, it was not an amazing game for him. One on one, Jokic outplayed him by a mile. The rest of their teams, however, is a different story, and that's why the Wolves 100% deserve this victory.

[@kjwdog7453]

No one said ant did great they said he does a great job impacting the game in other ways when his shot isn’t falling

[@PhazeIIChannel]

lol that’s how you know you didn’t watch the game. Brother watching the box score not the game 😂

[@AbcDino843]

@@PhazeIIChannel facts are facts.

[@AbcDino843]

@@kjwdog7453 that's literally the case with every player ever who failed at one aspect of their game. He got shut down last night.

[@PhazeIIChannel]

@@AbcDino843 I don’t think the narrative was he had an amazing game, he had great impact despite having an off night. That’s why stats don’t mean everything. Yes he had an off shooting night but he didn’t let that affect the impact of the rest of the game, Ant just keeping playing like he was the best player on the court.

[@kingquads6982]

Nuggets are done, considering Grizzlies and OKC next year, it would be very difficult to come of the the West for several years.

[@downstorffleon]

I think this was an exceptional breakdown of the comeback. Denver will continue to be a problem, WEST is too strong. Wolves will continue to be a problem, MC age hurts Wolves longevity but I’ll be hard pressed if there isn’t a vet PG every year or so that wants to play with Ant for a run. Bright futures in Minny. Love your analysis and thank you for your efforts.

[@edmunoz2353]

good thing you made this video , I couldnt stand listening to Collin in the video from last night

[@bigmattmcd]

Mailbag question: Jason, thanks for doing what you do, most of us are sick and tired of ESPN etc pushing hot takes as analysis. Now to the question/questions Jokic was incredible when it came to getting steals around the basket. BUT, he also refused to act as a rim protector. Would not even put his hands up..Basically he is literally a point guard in a bigmans body. This brings me to 2 questions, do you think it will ever get to the point he's just called a PG? Magic is 6'9 and is considered a PG. This implies there will be other bigs that replicate Jokic. Also, does his complete lack of care for protecting the rim, especially when it was close..lower your long-term view of him? And do you blame him or Malone for not giving him time to rest while up 20?

[@AbcDino843]

I think part of the problem is that he's too valuable to the team, and staying out of foul trouble is a consideration. He is getting a ton of rebounds though.

[@drazzzpoppp5022]

Will use boxing analogy Great fighter sparing fresh good fighters every 10 minutes in preparation for a fight...Jokic without any back up going against three 7 footers who wore him down.Nuggets front office got too cocky and never addressed this shit

[@taylor7264]

did jason just call kcp a rim protector???

[@MajinVegito100]

Jokic defense beens ass. He was allowed to hack and shove down low last year.

[@Matt4pf]

Great series win for the wolves. Ngl though I’m not a fan of people spinning the narrative acting like Ant played good or he’s the reason they won when if the Nuggets won the entire narrative going around would’ve been Ant didn’t show up. Let’s give some more credit to the wolves auxiliary players for showing up when needed

[@rohw0016]

But he did show up.. defensively. So they won. If he doesn’t, they lose.

[@Matt4pf]

@@rohw0016his defense doesn’t outshine the fact that he was 6-24 and like their 4th best offensive player

[@ryanwall1780]

Casuals don't want to hear about role players. Sad, but true.

[@rohw0016]

@@Matt4pf what does that tell you then when our best player didn’t have a good game we came back from the largest deficit in game seven history

[@saraxiong]

Even Ant gave credit to Kat, Rudy, and all the role players. Sounds like you’re jealous of all the attention he gets.

[@voakenfold]

Mailbag Question: Would you agree that the league is pivoting towards defense? The Twolves made this comeback possible because of good defensive habits which you said is more sustainable. Similarly Dallas bolstered their squad with long wings and it was their defense that carried them over OKC. If it is because of officiating, do you see them making the same calls during the regular season next year?

[@TulioMCano]

Mailbag: I know you said you don't like a trade centered around MPJ, but what if they call the Nets and offer MPJ, Payton Watson and maybe another young guy with some picks? I feel like that would be the perfect replacement and they get even better defensively.

[@TulioMCano]

I forgot to add that they would trading for Mikal Bridges lol

[@jdelgado216]

MPJ will make 35M next season, Nets would need to add more to match salaries and I doubt they will

[@TulioMCano]

@@jdelgado216 Mikal is making around 25M, add in schroder or someone else and you are good to go!

[@consciousblacc]

They didn't stun them. They were a better team Denver has a bottom 5 bench.

[@Killa_Kamz]

I dont blame laker fans because the Nuggets fans started acting like they were the 01 Lakers calliin Mike the Lakers Daddy and stuff... Besides that Jokic shouldve never been the automatic number 1. Its a two man race with him and Giannis. He was never so far ahead of the pack like ppl have neen acting like.

[@user-mnns]

If someone wanted to rig a series, to get max bettors all in on one team or another it would look exactly like this😊

[@gregfernandez420]

lesgo cant believe twolves did it for us Laker fans !!!!!

[@taylor7264]

we dont want to hear abt jokic's fatigue. FATIGUE IS NO EXCUSE! ITS A WEAKNESS. just like conditioning is a stregnth of curry's fatigue was probably the biggest reason tatum played so bad v curry n the dubs in '22 but again no1 ever gave JT that grace #callitbothways

[@snakesupreme]

Gordon was their third best scorer in the series what happened to him in the 2nd half?

[@LittleIggy2010]

Watched the game! Seemed like that Joker guy was the only player huffing & puffing. He need to get in shape, maybe wind sprints would help? Seemed like he gave up at the end too.. that one thing really stuck out to me

[@Conk_23]

Played all but 1 minute in a game 7 at the mile high city. It’s not exactly surprising. That said, his dominance is in part attributable to his size. Lose weight = slightly less dominant but slightly better conditioned. Not worth it.

[@ggwh3art796]

the double team in late Q3 was hurt, if they really wanna doubleteam there must be more aggressive in the rotation, but Denver just gave other guys really open shot

[@taylor7264]

gobert parked in the paint for most of these possession. couple missed 15** second violations in the paint. idc they werent called but watching it back its crazy but if ag could space floor gobert couldnt be in such great position to help on jokic and protect the rim at the same time. prob the only den flaw not pointed out in this video

[@wladosu]

If denver won this and they wwre close, they champs again. It was that close so they know what they missed.

[@doitdevin]

Nuggets need Malik Monk like player. Constant rim pressure.

[@barkaviouswarmack4748]

Mailbag Question: of the last 5 champions dating back to the 2019 Raptors, which team would win if they all played against each other between Denver, Golden State, Milwaukee, LA, and Toronto?

[@davidhuggan5597]

Remember this dude picked the Nuggets to win this series💯

[@nathanaelgion2762]

He picked the Suns to beat the Wolves too

[@nickovannelly333]

And will probably take Dallas in 5 or 6

[@Nik.No.K]

Just like everyone else. Is everyone in nba media supposed to be correct with their predictions? Because if you think that I have some hard news for you

[@youssoufmaiga9369]

Is he supposed to be correct every time

[@ragingsavage9059]

He also picked the warriors to lose every series in that 22 championship run

[@yahcrack]

Jason cried last night, he had to get himself together before he recorded

[@Vhukonikm123]

6ft3 inches steph curry led the same starting 5 to 5 straight nba finals in a strong western conference without getting tired, winning 4 in 6 years, so please don't start with me sir

[@johnathanporter9825]

I love nuggets . Especially spicy

[@AbcDino843]

I agree that we should not be overthinking this. Nuggets needed a couple of threes, and this game would be different. When the final stats are looked at, the shooting from the supporting cast was not there. MPJ had quite a few completely clear shots and he missed. People talking about Nuggets' defense should note that like in the previous game, Timberwolves didn't score all that much, it's just that the Nuggets scored less than they should under normal circumstances.

[@brendenbosquez4177]

What happens to good offenses is when getting smothered by great defense, they start seeing ghosts and getting flustered. This causes misses on wide open shots which is what happened in every game that Denver lost.

[@M.Đ-z4u]

@@brendenbosquez4177 having open shots have nothing to do with defense

[@brendenbosquez4177]

@@M.Đ-z4u having open shots doesn’t yes you’re right. Missing open shots does. When a defense is on you like paint and mauling you and cutting off passing lanes etc. your players get tired asf. And yes they miss open shots. This is why defensive intensity is so important and why effort is so important. It deflates the offense and they start missing wide open shots. This is well known and is how Minnesota has won all year long

[@M.Đ-z4u]

@@brendenbosquez4177 missing open shots has nothing to do with defence.you don't know anything

[@AbcDino843]

@@brendenbosquez4177 True, that's what happened in this series. That's what happened to Edwards last night too though, his stats are terrible for this game, the Nuggets' defense in the first half was amazing too.

[@ss_IIII]

Mailbag: when has the best player in the nba ever been a defensive liability? Lebron Giannis Steph KD Kobe Shaq Wade Duncan MJ. All of these players were the best or close to the best player, but somehow it’s ignored with jokic?

[@donie-rg4cy]

Have you ever seen a 280 pounds 7 footer playing for 47 minutes? And all the time guarded extremely physical with another three 7 footer switching and double him. Of course he was gassed out in the fourth and he's not one to blame, it's on Malone. Malone can't find the way to make sustainable game without Jokic on the floor for the last four years. Jamal is lost when Jokic is not on the court. That narrative that Denver have the best starting five in the league is laughable, it must be Kendrick Perkins's take. No another all star player, no all defensive guy, just bunch of solid average players who looks much better in the system of the one player

[@user-lc2vf7mh6l]

So would you say Denver made a mistake putting so much emphasis on shutting down Edward’…

[@taylor7264]

TATUM WOULDVE BEEN KILLED FOR THE GAME ANT HAD #callitbothways yes ant was great on defense in the 2nd half. he did a solid job getting off the ball when he got doubled. he also got out in transition a few times, sometimes off his own defensive plays n some were plays made by teammates but tatum isnt criticized for not doing the things i just mentioned. its funny bc jason is praising ants game w the same argument celtics fans make to defend tatum all the time. difference is we know tatum is a better defender and better playmaker. the tatum criticism is aimed at his performance in the "SLOWED DOWN HALF COURT ENVIRONMENT AT THE END OF GAMES WHEN THE TEAM NEEDS HIM TO GET A BUCKET" CORRECT?! ppl lament that tatum leans on his teammates too much in those situations - even when being doubled like ant was tn. take the miami series that just happened for example. ppl killed jt but he saw the same coverages ant got in this game from what might be a a better miami defense. so go back and look at all of ants possessions in this game in the half court. esp down the stretch. there was a ton of settling for tough pull up j's. he didnt rly take advantage when he did get single coverage or 2v2 in the pnr by getting downhill. ant splitting that double late in the 4th is the only time i could remember him attacking the rim in the half court.i see there were more but not many at all. i expected more of that from ant considering hes supposed to be "unrelenting downhill force" i mean 42% OF ANTS SHOTS WERE 3s lol - im joking there bc thats a stat that you used to illustrate how tatum settles too much. but like you said in this video you cant just look at the box score. but i remember seeing a whole lotta dribble in place for 30 seconds and fire a step back. that shot at the end of the 3rd is a great example. JT has played over 100 playoff games so hes had more or less this exact game a handful of times n he's been killed for them. ant is lucky his teammates came through for him. this is not to say ant is trash its to say that great players have these kind of games if they play enough in the postszn. if youre gonna praise ant praist jt too. #callitbothways

[@vladimirsempio2134]

Big karma for Nuggets. If the league suspended Murray at least a game or two, this would have been done in 4 games and maybe mire acceptable.

[@nikolacvejic7270]

Murray is not top 25 in the league, so it is not that hard for ANT to close him. Imagine Jok with anather all star it would be dinastay. Jok is playing with bums, and he should ask for trade. Jok with 2 Serbian players Bogi and Jovic would won title. Luka and Jok paring would won 5 titels. Denver do not deserve Jok, they are riding him for too long...

[@vladimirsempio2134]

No, Jokic tried to shoot more in the 3's because he thought he's Curry because he had that one lucky shot against GSW.😂😂😂

[@cmac392]

6/24 Ant is God because he finally got doubled While Tatum has been getting doubled for years, puts up 11/25 33pt.13rebs playing absurdly good defense & gets questioned Yes Tatum had huge nights in BIG games when he was playing in Conference Finals when he was 22 & under

[@MDHDH-iy7nm]

Right? I just came here to say the same thing lol, its getting fucking ridiculous. Tatum has done the same shit, and does the same shit whenever he isnt hitting. 21-10-5 in round 1 because he is getting smothered and not shooting well, but his defensive impact, playmaking and rebounding and everything other than his scoring/shooting is literally ignored. Thats not to say hes void of criticism, as a Celtics fan, I think he struggles to recognize the moment at times, but the narratives people push like they do are nasty. Ive already seen so many crazy things said about Denver and Jokic because they lost.

[@yahcrack]

CRY ABOUT IT ON A CELTICS POD

[@M.Đ-z4u]

that aint is a joke

[@bossaudio12]

Stay salty

[@AbcDino843]

Don't forget 2/10 for three on top of that. He shot bricks all night and they're talking about "how mature he played" LOL.

[@franknatti5367]

Jokic never made it past 2nd round whenever he won MVP. Still haven’t beat a 50 win team

[@jofieji5312]

They stunned them physically. Like they fouled them. The nuggets were stunned.

[@kjwdog7453]

???

[@DoremonUCR]

Nuggets need to package Murray and Porter Jr. Murray has too much of an injury history and this is probably the best version of him you’re going to get. He’s not athletic either so unless he’s under perfect conditions he gets nulled. This series show why Porter Jr. had so much potential but got drafted later. They need more athleticism or it’ll just be a repeat next year. Wolves will kill then again.

[@MajinVegito100]

Thank you been saying this. I get if they don’t want to move Murray cause of sentimental reason but MPJ is unplayable against real teams.

[@AbcDino843]

I agree. Murray pulls the wool over people's eyes because he throws in just enough of decent performances, but overall, he's a liability, and when Jokic is not on the court he is downright terrible. The fact that he is the 2nd guy on this team speaks volumes about the team.