Jokic hits halftime buzzer‑beater

Nikola Jokić’s halftime buzzer-beater came in Denver’s 115-107 Game 4 win over Minnesota, not a 125-113 result, and it capped a 20-second avalanche. (espn.com) (nba.com) The shot was a 39-footer with 0.1 seconds left in the second quarter at Target Center on Sunday, May 12, 2024. It pushed Denver’s lead to 64-49 at halftime. (espn.com) (nba.com) Denver’s burst was bigger than one shot. The Nuggets scored eight points in the last 20 seconds of the half, with Jamal Murray also hitting a heave from beyond half court in that same closing flurry. (espn.com) (nba.com) Jokić finished with 35 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in Game 4, while Aaron Gordon added 27 points and Murray scored 19. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 44 points. (espn.com) (nba.com) The moment mattered because Denver had lost the first two games of the Western Conference semifinal at home and needed both road games in Minneapolis to avoid falling behind 3-1. Game 4 tied the series at 2-2. (espn.com) (cdn.nba.com) Two days later, Denver took Game 5 at home, 112-97, behind 40 points and 13 assists from Jokić to move ahead 3-2. That later win may be the source of the score mix-up in the original framing. (nba.com) (espn.com) Minnesota answered with a 115-70 win in Game 6, then erased a 20-point second-half deficit in Game 7 to eliminate the defending champions. The halftime dagger in Game 4 was real, but it was one swing in a series that kept swinging back. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)