Nikola Jokic Reaffirms Commitment as Nuggets Exit First Round

The No. 3-seed Denver Nuggets lost the first-round series to the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in six games. Game 6 ended 110-98 at the Target Center. Jokic recorded 28 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists; McDaniels led Minnesota with 32 points and 10 rebounds.

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Denver finished the regular season 54-2, posting the league-best offensive rating (121.2) but ranking 21st in defense. The team entered the playoffs as a title contender. Minnesota advanced despite missing Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, Ayo Dosunmu and Kyle Anderson.

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• Nikola Jokic – three-time MVP, under a two-year, $121.9 million contract with a player option for the second year; eligible for a four-year, $293 million extension.

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• Jamal Murray – All-Star guard, career-best 25.4 points per game in the regular season.

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• David Adelman – head coach in his first full season.

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• Nuggets shot 39 % as a team in the first four games, far below Jokic’s career playoff average of 56 %.

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• Minnesota out-rebounded Denver and recorded 64 points in the paint in Game 6; Denver ranked 21st defensively in the regular season.

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Jokic reiterated his desire to stay with Denver, saying, “I still want to be a Nugget forever.” He placed blame on the players, not on coach Adelman, for rebounding lapses. Murray accepted responsibility, calling his Game 6 effort “frustrating” and pledging improvement. Adelman cited injuries and called the series “a survival-type effort.”

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Analysts noted the Nuggets’ over-reliance on Jokic and Murray and the lack of consistent secondary scoring from players such as Cam Johnson and Christian Braun. National commentary highlighted Jokic’s shooting drop to 44.6 % from the field and 19.4 % from three-point range, a sharp decline from his regular-season efficiency.

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One source lists Jokic’s series shooting at 44.6 % overall, while another cites 58 % in Game 6. His series averages are reported as 25.8 points, 13.2 rebounds and 9.5 assists, yet Game 6 totals were 28 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. No detailed breakdown of defensive adjustments is provided.

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• “I still want to be a Nugget forever.” — Nikola Jokic, center, Denver Nuggets

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• “It’s not his fault that we cannot rebound. It’s not his fault that we cannot catch the ball where we want to sell. There is nothing to blame to David Adelman. It was all us,” — Nikola Jokic

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• “That’s the frustrating part, just not showing up when my team needed me most tonight,” — Jamal Murray, guard, Denver Nuggets

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• “Definitely, if we were in Serbia, we would all get fired.” — Nikola Jokic

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Jokic becomes a restricted free agent in July and is expected to negotiate a long-term extension. The Nuggets must improve defensively and add bench depth before the 2026-27 season. Minnesota, buoyed by its defensive play, will meet the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals.

Denver Post