Jokić’s Game‑1 Triple‑Double

Denver opened its first-round series by beating Minnesota 116-105 on April 18, with Nikola Jokić posting a 25-point triple-double at Ball Arena. (nba.com) Jokić finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, while Jamal Murray scored 30 points and went 16 for 16 at the free-throw line. Aaron Gordon added 17 points and eight rebounds for Denver. (espn.com) The game turned after Denver erased a 12-point early deficit and used a 17-2 run in the third quarter to build control. Minnesota cut the margin to 97-95 with 6:23 left, but Jokić answered with a five-point stretch and Denver closed with a late Gordon dunk for a 108-101 lead. (nba.com) Game 1 mattered because this matchup has been tight for three seasons, with Denver holding a 15-14 edge in regular-season and playoff meetings since 2022-23. Each team has also won a playoff series against the other in that span. (espn.com) Denver also entered the opener on a 13-game winning streak since its March 18 loss, giving the Nuggets recent momentum against a Minnesota team that finished 49-33. The Game 1 win put Denver ahead 1-0 in the Western Conference first round. (espn.com) The opener was physical from the start. Officials called 42 fouls, assessed an unsportsmanlike technical to Jaden McDaniels for pushing Jokić in the back, and handed technical fouls to Nuggets coach David Adelman, Julius Randle and Gordon. (nba.com) Minnesota got 22 points from Anthony Edwards, who played with a sore right knee, and he added seven assists to pass Kevin Garnett for the franchise’s career postseason assists record. Donte DiVincenzo made four 3-pointers. (espn.com) The highlights moved quickly after the final buzzer, including league clips of Jokić’s stat line and Denver’s late plays. The series resumes with Game 2 in Denver on Monday, April 20, at 10:30 p.m. Eastern. (nba.com)