r/denvernuggets • u/silentohpossum • May 17 '24
Image/Gif Now it’s personal
As the garbage time ticked down Jokic never sat down and just stood there staring daggers at the court. To me it looked like he clearly was taking this blowout personally. For all of the pundits who say Jokic is disinterested by basketball, this does not look like a man who is checked out.
I hope the rest of the team brings it for game 7. But I fully expect Jokic to leave everything on the table.
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u/thegothicprincessx May 17 '24
watched the game w my dad yesterday, safe to say it wasn’t a quiet night
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u/SpinTactix May 17 '24 edited May 17 '24
Anyone saying Jokic doesn't care about the competitive aspect of the game should really just log off because their opinion isn't valuable. If he didn't have any competitive fire in him for basketball he wouldn't have the skill to be an NBA player, let alone the best player in the world.
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u/thepissedoffbarber May 17 '24
Don’t even pay it any mind. The man is an NBA champion. That alone speaks for itself.
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u/nothing3141592653589 May 17 '24
The only "evidence" for that is that he doesn't scream at people after dunks like an idiot. He's clearly as competitive as anyone in the league. He said he wanted to stay warm for lifting, lol. He couldn't stay seated if he tried.
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May 17 '24
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u/Budded May 17 '24
I think he's so good, he comes across looking bored because it comes so easy to him. I hope this blowout gets them all laser focused for Sunday.
That being said, if we lose to you, I'll be cheering MN on for the championship.
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u/_moondoggie12_ May 17 '24
Jokic: I was there for the team in game 5. The team wasn’t there for me in game 6.
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u/naderni May 17 '24
His team let him down. The wolves is built to stop Jokic, not the Nuggets, they doubled him with Rudy in the paint, he is MVP but still human with two hands and two legs. He cant do it alone, the team has to show up. He had no help last night.
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u/Mysterious_Universe1 May 17 '24
40 point triple double incoming...
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u/fhujr May 17 '24
Hope so but it's gonna be hard, they'll throw everything on him. Jamal and the rest of the guys simply must make their shots.
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u/Marvinkmooneyoz May 17 '24
Maybe, but I hope it's just a good cohesive team thing, even if it's led by him the whole time, a game where everyone is moving, touching the ball, finding each other for passes, and taking the right shots. If they win this game because of hero ball, it means they have a lesser chance in the next round.
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u/owiseone23 May 17 '24
I think Jokic balling out is a given. The question is everyone else. That'll decide the game one way or another.
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u/Big_Stay6072 May 17 '24
...only if the other guys perform, and the Minnesota defense has to get honest. If it's another night like last night, it's going to get ugly for the Nuggs. No one man can carry a whole team, if the other guys don't hit their shots. 30% shooting is mostly going to get you beat to a pulp in this league.
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u/Anhedonic98 May 17 '24
I fully expect Jokic to come out guns blazing in game 7
That said, he cant do it alone, and if the rest of the team can't fix their inconsistency, its gonna be another long night
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u/Doc_183_fumble May 17 '24
Bingo! The MVP can't do it alone! Nor should he have to! Jesus... there's a couple starters who better take a long look in the mirror and realize what happened in game six falls squarely on their shoulders! It's Time They Take A Little Pride In Who They Are! It's Time They Step Up! It's Game Seven Time!
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u/clouwnkrusty May 17 '24
They need to make all the adjustments, practice shooting the ball and provide alot more energy towards rebounding.
Never give ur opponent a sense of victory. They have to play like champions or the young wolves will shred them.
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May 17 '24
"I must break you."
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u/Iznal May 17 '24
First play of g7 I wanna see him two hand jam it on Gobert and KAT in the paint. I guarantee it would be lights out game over from that point.
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May 17 '24
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u/Impressive_Trust_395 May 17 '24
The fact you think you all are Rocky in this situation with your dirty fouls and antics being covered up by Marc Davis on the 2 blowouts for Minnie this series is disgusting.
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u/DirkolaJokictzki May 17 '24
I recognize this look. This is a man who remembers the disgusting taste of losing and will do any and everything in his power to not lose. The wolves are absolute fucking toast on Sunday.
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u/CupertinoCA May 17 '24
Warrior fan here. Totally different situation but same mindsets. Last year we got blown out at home vs kings in closeout game 6 as defending champs but Steph had a certain look. He then proceeded to drop 50 and win game 7 on road. I expect joker to do the same
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u/Shame_Low May 17 '24
Thanks for reminding us, what Steph did was unbelievable. We have a similiar player and just have to trust him
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u/AbelardsArdor May 17 '24
I was also reminded of that but even moreso the game against the Grizzlies two years ago when the Grizz won by 50 at home and then the Warriors went back to the Bay and stomped them.
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u/SilvioDantesPeak May 17 '24
Series played out the exact same way through six games too. Kings went up 2-0, Warriors won three straight, Kings took Game 6 in a blowout. Thanks for helping me cope lol.
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u/Infinite-Safety-4663 May 17 '24
last nights game reminded me more honestly of Warriors-Grizzlies game 2022 game 5.
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May 17 '24
As much as it was him standing because he’s pissed about the blowout from Minnesota, he’s also pissed that his team didn’t have his back when he carried them the last 3 prior games. He was giving everyone open looks but no shots were going in. I feel like he didn’t wanna sit next to his teammates either.
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u/clouwnkrusty May 17 '24
This is so true, they should come out showing their MVP that they have his back. Stop taking threes and eat the paint. Gobert and Kat will foul, don't slow up on ur shot take it with confidence.
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u/cervdotbe May 17 '24
He can't do it alone. Jamal and MPJ needs to stop sucking so badly.
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May 17 '24
Jamal has been bad; but MPJ has been ENTIRELY non existent on the floor. Insane.
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u/AbelardsArdor May 17 '24
It's not complicated. The Wolves are staying attached to him and never helping off of him because they dont want to let him do what he did to the Lakers [or, indeed, what he did in game 3 when he had 21].
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May 17 '24
they got him in his head, he needs to change his mindset tout suite, find that faith again.
i think he CAN do it, hoping that he DOES do it.
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u/Prize_Salamander8035 May 17 '24
This bum only shows up against lakers.
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u/AbelardsArdor May 17 '24
He had 21 in game 3 and 20 or so in game 1. The Wolves are a great defensive team. They're staying attached to him as much as physically possible because they know if they dont do that he'll do what he did against the Lakers.
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u/AbelardsArdor May 17 '24
He had 21 in game 3 and 20 or so in game 1. The Wolves are a great defensive team. They're staying attached to him as much as physically possible because they know if they dont do that he'll do what he did against the Lakers.
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u/agentcooperrr May 17 '24
He's scoring 60 on Sunday.
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u/UHDArt May 17 '24
No he is giving up on Sunday.
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u/Beranac May 17 '24
Yeah because if there's anything he's known for, it's for giving up. What an idiot you are.
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u/UHDArt May 17 '24
I know what you mean, and English is not my native language so maybe i have express myself on misleading way.
Hi did unimaginable thing in game 5 just so teammates throw everything out of the window in game 6.
I know Nikola, i know this look. Hi is been carrying people for a while now. Everyone have limits. Nikola will never say this to his teammates, but this is "limit reached" look.
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u/Beranac May 17 '24
It's not my native language either but you wrote that Nikola gives up on Sunday. They were down 0-2 and it's 3-3. He's anything but a quitter.
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May 17 '24 edited May 17 '24
I had that exact face the whole game. I can't comprehend how they let this happen. I just know I ain't never seen the Joker look like this and it gives me hope.
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u/trewaldo May 17 '24
Jokic’s brain is recording everything so he could process what to do next. This game is another anomaly like Game 2.
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u/yern324 May 17 '24
The look of a mad man who’s about to hit the lab with his minions and put together the most embarrassing display of man handling on a Sunday in Denver.
Jokic is about to go off on his team to fire them up and carry them like the MVP he is.
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u/TBL_AM May 17 '24
The look of disgust knowing you're the only one on your team that came to play...
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u/ballsacklicking May 17 '24
I'm telling you right now jokic is gonna go insane in game 7 he is not letting them lose.
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u/Shenanigans80h May 17 '24
Jokic wasn’t himself tonight, and I say that when he still had a decent game. He made turnovers he doesn’t usually make, missed shots that are usually automatic. He will come back from this. One more game
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u/WhiskyDrinkinCowboy May 17 '24
Jokic had 3 turnovers, and shot just under 50%, he didn't play amazing, and the big thing is he didn't establish that low post dominance this game that gets Minnesota scrambling. But to blame this loss on him would be absurd, he looked like the only one that wanted to play tonight outside of Gordon for a few minutes.
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May 17 '24
i felt like KAT was actually hard for the first time in the series. i think its not so much as the Nuggs losing the game, as it was the Wolves winning it.
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u/Shame_Low May 17 '24
There's almost no way it's gona be a typical joker game like 26-10-9 or something. It's gona have to an all time game from him, I'm talking like phoenix game 4 or even game 5 from a couple nights ago.
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u/TheJunkyardDog May 17 '24
it doesn't really matter if it's personal for Joker or not if the others(Murray especially whos been ass for the most part of this playoffs run) just keep bricking every open shot he creates for them....
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May 17 '24
He should have taken it personally when he was on the court.
Tbh, he played fine. Murray shit the bed
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May 17 '24
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u/jeric13xd May 17 '24
I think the crowd is gonna be a huge advantage. We need to get a good start and get the crowd into it before the younger team settles in.
I’m confident in the Nuggets. Gotta come out the same way they did in Game 3
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u/GeraltFromHiShinUnit May 17 '24
Well the crowd definitely was no advantage for g1 and 2 lol
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u/jeric13xd May 17 '24
True but we already saw how the wolves played when they had momentum on their side heading into game 3/4. You can jump on them before they settle in. Need to have that urgency to get a lead and keep it like they did in Gm 3/4
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u/Solstafirlol May 17 '24
what crowd advantage? people eating hotdogs and yelling "defense"? It's the same all around the league, the hostility factor is non-existent. As Jokić said "brother, I played in Serbia". Look up on youtube the kind of atmosphere we create here to make the enemy feel like they're in hell and that there's 20 thousand people ready to break their heads at any moment.
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u/PatoNani May 17 '24
All the best basketball leagues in Europe have an electrifying atmosphere (Euroleague, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Serbia...) because the fan culture was influenced by European football. It's also important to know that most European basketball teams are not franchise organizations owned by a single person and run as a company. These are more traditional sports clubs deeply rooted in their specific cities (for example Real Madrid) so fans tend to be more passionated to support their club.
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u/fhujr May 17 '24
Yeah every arena goes quiet if you're not on some wild run. Ball arena is probably even worse in that regard than the the rest.
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u/LBo_Jax May 17 '24
Why does Malone let Jamal throw up 5-6 straight contested bricks as the game snowballs away from us? Sit him down for a quarter and get it through his head this is not about him
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u/Front_Culture May 17 '24
I am not a nuggets fan (i guess i am for the series) but I would definitely rather lose this game in a blowout like it happened rather than a close one because now the MVP will show why hes the MVP.
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u/gerardguey May 17 '24
That's why a blow out game 6 is a double edge sword. The losing team now has a fire lit under them, and get more rest and time to process unlike a close loss which is also brutal but leaves you exhausted physically.
Then again it wasn't just a 20 point blow out, it was a 45 point statement, so who even knows at this point, its anyones game on Sunday
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u/JakeEatsYT May 17 '24
I’m a Timberwolves fan. I just have to say, whoever wins this series is who I’m rooting for to win it all.
Jokic is a beast and it sucks my team has to play against him because he’s fucking impossible to lock down.
Good luck in Game 7.
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u/LokLokLokgie May 17 '24 edited May 17 '24
It was the same as kings - warriors last year, kings up 2-0 before warriors storm back but got blown out at home for elimination game 6
Eliminating them on the roads was always hard n you didn’t think nuggets was gonna win 4 straight
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u/-SINED- May 17 '24
It'd be really funny if after this he's gonna let Jamal chuck shots and make us go down 20 in the 1st again.
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u/Super_Inspection4445 May 17 '24
Joker better play like mike anyone Tyson, Jordan,Jackson. And please someone else besides joker show up
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u/RaDeus May 17 '24 edited May 17 '24
From r/all, first thought was that he doesn't look very Danish... Then I saw the name of the sub 😅
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u/TheYodaBossyt May 17 '24
This team better be in the gym today and tomorrow. If anyone makes their shots we win
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u/luliz1234 May 17 '24
45 points is unacceptable if you’re in the playoffs with the best player in the league 🦁
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u/Spiritual-Station-51 May 17 '24
Hey that’s what the Denver Bronco players always look like since the Russell Wilson era 😂🖕
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u/ELSknutson May 17 '24
I mean it was always personal when you the guy carrying the "team" on your back.
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u/Mordanorm May 17 '24
Well if anyone knows how to rally the troops and silence the critics even getting them to apologize profusely it’s definitely Joker.
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May 17 '24
I’ll be honest, this keep Murray in despite him missing a dozen shots and being unable to get space is annoying.
Murray at 80% isn’t better than the rest of the roster.
When they stat doing a full court press on Murray, he struggles heavily. He tries to play iso ball and can’t get free. He holds the ball and chucks it or makes bad passes.
I get backing your guy, but Murray is up for a big contract next year and has had no all-stars, is constantly injured, and then he has games where he blows up and games where he disappears and makes everyone worse.
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u/Danirose231 May 17 '24
They should use Deandre Jordan for his size. Only put him in when Jokic is in the game. Jokic will find him under the basket, and he can help them with rebounding. The trio of Holiday, Braun, and Jackson are completely useless, and outmatched in size. If Malone doesn’t make adjustments and they come out cold this could slip away real quick.
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u/Saynt614 May 17 '24
I sure hope so... this was a seriously concerning game. I know they've shown resilience coming back from 0-2 but if they lose game 7 this season will leave a very sour taste in everyone's mouth
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May 17 '24
We have to understand these guys haven’t had any proper rest. If we go down game 7 it’s okay. Winning back to back championships is one of the hardest things to accomplish. I’m happy how far we’ve come. Just sucks we have to listen to the garbage media talk about the wolves for the next few days.
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u/The_Commonwealth May 17 '24
They better make sure his brother is restrained or it could get violent.
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u/SuccessfulPath7 May 17 '24
Nikola Jokić on the slow starts: “I learned in horse racing. It's not how you start, it's how you finish.”
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u/milehigh11 May 17 '24
Still the only man that shows up every game.. . Everyone else was MIA. the bench was a joke.
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u/AstroNaughtyNight May 17 '24
It was definitely odd seeing him standing there like that. He’s pissed the f off. We shall see Sunday.
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May 17 '24
He's about to drop 50 points in game 7. and 5 assists probably b/c no one else is scoring.
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u/clouwnkrusty May 17 '24
Once again the other 4 and the bench didn't show up. The coach was watching this clinic.
Rebounds, rebounds, rebounds, rebounds, rebounds, rebounds ................. infinity ♾️
What's with the 3 pointers, eat the paint 🎨, then u will hit any shot out on the perimeter.
If the three is off abandon it and go for something else. Why give ur opponent any chance at winning.
They really need to be in the arena practicing shooting all day til Sunday.
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u/FlyGuy_2Hundy May 17 '24
On thr bright side, from that moment on you doubled Minnesota is scoring!
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u/Silent_Ad_4580 May 17 '24
The game plan was solid. Jokic drawing multiple defenders is exactly what you want; he can use his greatest skills of court awareness and playmaking/passing to get the ball to others for easy, open looks. That was happening consistently. It sucks for it to be in a close out game, but sometimes the shots don’t fall. Sometimes you flip a coin and get tails 10 times in a row. Even the best shooters in the league only hit like 45% from 3 over a season; for every heater, there will be games when they miss. A smart manager isn’t sending Mike Trout to AAA because he doesn’t hit for couple games.
Nugs responded well to going down 0-2. That’s the same kind of resilience they need to show now, and it’s the real test for Malone as a coach, not messing around with lineups halfway through the playoffs. The intensity from Jokic is exactly what you want to see from your best player, getting ready for the next game and setting an example for everyone else.
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u/peachpavlova May 17 '24
I’ve never seen him so pissed before. I hope he brings down the Sombor hammer on Sunday
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u/winkman May 17 '24
Minnesota pulled out their secret weapon last night: (whispers) "Psst...if you ease up for two more games...horses."
Joker: "Mmmm, horses...yeah :) "
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u/AdministrationFar338 May 17 '24
For those going to the game - please bring the Serbian crowd energy
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u/baecutler May 18 '24
never understood the narrative that he doesnt care about basketball of that hes a “part time” hooper. Have you seen how fired up he got with Ishbia last year? the talking heads are crazy sometimes.
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u/Yuki-Bianca May 18 '24
All those missed 3’s fucking annihilated us and shook our confidence to the core. They will shake this one off and win game 7!
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u/_em_pty_b_o_tt_le May 18 '24
I'm admittedly a doomer. We're doneskis! Really though it's hard to back-to-back. No shame here, ANT is too strong with Conley. Yo just appreciate the good times!!
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u/Shaka_Brands May 19 '24
I'm looking forward to this game. I think it's going to be an absolute all-timer. Tell Ball Rena staff to watch out for flying chairs again.
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u/Coldfact192 May 17 '24
I mean they got fkn destroyed. Wolves becoming a contender requires an energy that none of us have. I bet more than half of nba fans are shrugging at Boston, who are breaking franchise records. God damn I’m to tired for this
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u/AsapNigiri May 17 '24
Ohhh so getting whooped the first 2 games of the series wasn't personal enough? Lmaooo
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u/Smooth_Cry2645 May 17 '24
Hopefully this will light a fire in Jokic.
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u/Doc_183_fumble May 17 '24
Jokic has the fire! There's a few other starters that need to step the fuck up!
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May 17 '24
Game 2 the wolves smothered Denver and they had no answers. This is NOT the same thing, Denver had a plethora of open shots and nothing could go down, it was simply not their night at all.
I know the talking heads will give Minn a bunch of love for their defense, but I just don't see how those two games were remotely the same. Also, weren't the starters pulled almost the entire 4th, while Minn kept theirs in? They ran up the score and Denver couldn't hit shots.
Bring on game 7, is all I gotta say.
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u/Neritz May 17 '24
The last nine minutes or so was garbage time with scrubs on both sides. MN didn’t leave their starters in.
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u/Lets_Kick_Some_Ice May 17 '24
This dude should get a nasal spray sponsorship, cough-and-stuffy-nose-lookin ass.
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u/ThaEternalLearner May 17 '24
If the Nuggets win Game 7, it will be the first time Jokic eliminated a 50 win team.
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May 17 '24
Lost by 45 points. Probably one of the most pathetic performances ever in sports history.
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u/stefasaurus-rex May 17 '24
This is like seriously the only thing bringing me comfort after tonight