Jokic's triple-double lifts Denver past Timberwolves in Game 5 to stay alive in playoffs

Nikola Jokic’s triple-double led Denver to a 125-113 win over Minnesota, keeping their playoff hopes alive with a 3-2 series deficit.

Jokic dominates in clutch win Nikola Jokic delivered a triple-double to secure Denver’s 125-113 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, keeping their playoff aspirations alive. The 31-year-old Serbian center finished with 27 points, matching the game-high scoring total, along with 12 rebounds and 16 assists. A loss would have ended their season after trailing 3-1 in the series. Denver’s resilience kept their playoff dreams flickering with this crucial home win. ## Murray keys Denver’s comeback push Jamal Murray led Denver with a game-high 24 points as the Nuggets avoided elimination with a hard-fought victory. After three straight losses, Murray stressed the urgency of playing as if down 3-1. 'We had to play like we was down 3-1,' he said. 'I think we did a good job of bringing energy into the game and playing for 48 minutes, not letting up off the gas. That was a great team win.' The Nuggets’ next chance comes in Game 6 on Thursday in Minnesota. ## Pistons’ playoff hopes fade in Florida Cade Cunningham scored a game-high 25 points, but Detroit’s 94-88 loss to Orlando dashed their playoff ambitions. The Pistons, who started the series as top seeds, now face a 3-1 deficit and are on the brink of elimination. Orlando, the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed, last advanced past the first round in 2010, enduring six first-round exits and nine missed postseasons. ## Thunder complete sweep over Suns The Oklahoma City Thunder secured their spot in the second round with a 131-122 win over Phoenix, completing a 4-0 series sweep. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 31 points, capping the dominant performance at Phoenix’s arena. 'We do it for each other. None of us are selfish. We all want the next man to succeed and when you have those three things and put them together you get success.' Oklahoma will face the winner of the Lakers-Rockets series in the next round. ## Flagg edges Knueppel for Rookie of the Year Teenager Cooper Flagg was named NBA Rookie of the Year, narrowly defeating former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel in the voting. At 19, Flagg became the second-youngest winner after LeBron James. 'I think you talk about pressure and things like that, this season was a lot different going into it and what I was expecting and how the season ended up turning out,' he said. 'I think dealing with that and adjusting and kind of getting thrown in on the fly right away like that helped me long-term and throughout the season, just getting really comfortable. I think I grew in a lot of different areas.' ## Flagg’s rookie season by the numbers Selected first overall by Dallas in last year’s draft, Flagg delivered strong rookie numbers: 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He joined an elite group of rookies—Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Luka Doncic—since the NBA-ABA merger who averaged at least 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Flagg beat Knueppel by just 26 points in the final tally, marking the second-narrowest margin in Rookie of the Year voting since 2002-03.