In the battle between the best offense in the league and a tenacious defense, the latter claimed the spoils. The Minnesota Timberwolves were surgical in their execution. They held the Nuggets to just 96 points. It was all thanks to four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert putting Nikola Jokic in a straightjacket. The Joker couldn’t find a way past Gobert’s clamps, as he played one of the worst games of his prolific career.

The regular notion: The Nuggets lost, but Jokic played exceptionally, couldn’t be true from any direction. The three-time MVP shot 7/26 from the field and had just three assists besides his name. As for Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves’ defensive anchor proved Anthony Edwards right.

After Game 2, Ant said, “We are half the team when you’re on the bench. It’s just that simple,” after Gobert fell into early foul trouble. So the French center made it a point to be on the floor and draped all over his target, Nikola Jokic. He made the usually spotless offensive engine look human.

Gobert followed the Nuggets ace everywhere, contesting most of those 26 shots he took. Jokic made some and got to the charity stripe 11 times. However, Gobert was a man possessed with the singular task of playing tango with Nikola Jokic. In 36 minutes, the Timberwolves star recorded a +18 point differential while Jokic was -21. That impact right there settled the game for good.

The Nuggets didn’t stand a chance when Jokic couldn’t move the ball without having Rudy Gobert blocking his vision. And fans were just as astounded to see the Nuggets star’s struggles.

NBA fans question Nikola Jokic’s legacy

Watching Jokic fold under the Timberwolves’ excruciating pressure made some fans turn against the meteoric talent. “How is he in the all time convo with only 1 ring overrated AF,” a fan wrote. Well, that’s taking it a step too far. Nikola Jokic, a well-deserved three-time MVP, is far from overrated.

He remains one of the most influential players in the league. But tonight, he wasn’t allowed to work his tricks, nor did he have much help from his teammates. Still, some fans didn’t stop the slander. “A MVP should not be getting dominated by Rudy Gobert,” one comment read.

But the truth is, this was Gobert cementing his legacy. He was disregarded as a DPOY Finalist this season. This game was a slap to the NBA. Gobert recorded a dominant double-double, with as many assists as Nikola Jokic. “Rudy was on one tonight !! He better keep that same energy rest of the series,” a fan said praising his stellar effort tonight.

However, most of the reactions targeted Nikola Jokic. A fan wrote, “That’s not goat activities stat-wise”. And honestly, this wasn’t a game to remember. It was only the tenth time in 97 playoff games that Jokic recorded a -21 or worse net differential for the game. And with his offense shut down, the Joker’s defensive shortcomings took center stage.

Because while Gobert imposed himself, with three blocks, Jaden McDaniels flushed a dunk over Nikola Jokic. A fan asked for parity, suggesting, “If Luka shoots 27% and gets torched on defense, people put him into Ja Morant conversations”. And it’s hard to say anything but that it was an ugly game for Nikola Jokic.

Even the shots he usually makes didn’t fall. With the tight defense around him all night, the eight-time All-Star never got into any sort of rhythm. Neither did the Nuggets, who only recorded 12 assists and shot 34.1% from the field. This game might just go down as the night the Timberwolves figured a way to counter Denver’s well-oiled offense.

It was only the third time in the entire season they failed to record even 100 points. Aside from Jokic, Jamal Murray shot a measly 5/17. The prolific Nuggets tandem was the only pair of players to record over 15 points. In contrast, the Timberwolves had five, despite shooting 26.5% from beyond the arc.

It’s clear that the Nuggets aren’t meeting the levels defensively to even trouble Minnesota. They attacked the paint relentlessly, finishing with 68 points. The Nuggets could only manage 34. The series has turned, and if Nikola Jokic has another disappointing outing, this may well be over.