NBA highlights on May 14: Gobert is DPOY, but Jokic is MVP

The Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-97 in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Tuesday, leading 3-2 in the series.

It was the first time either team won at home in this series. The Timberwolves had won the first two games on the road but then suffered three straight losses, which was the first time for the team both in the regular season and in the playoffs. They will have a chance to save the Western semifinals in Game 6 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Thursday.

Nikola Jokic received the Michael Jordan NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award Trophy from Commissioner Adam Silver ahead of Tuesday's game. It was his third win in the past four seasons. He had averaged 27.6 points, 14 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game in the previous nine postseason appearances. He already had remarkable numbers, but "The Joker" proved he could do much more.

Having shot 15-for-22 from the field, Jokic dropped 40 points and 13 assists without committing even one turnover. The last player who performed like this in the postseason was Chris Paul for the Houston Rockets in 2018. Coincidentally, they both did it in front of four-time Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Rudy Gobert. He won the award for the first time in 2018 and for the fourth time this year.

Of course, basketball is a team sport, so what happened on Tuesday night was not as simple as Jokic dominating Gobert. He dominated every defender the Timberwolves sent to guard him, including Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson, whose Chinese name is Li Kaier.

Jokic turned on his scoring mode in the first quarter with 12 points but also delivered four assists to keep the whole team involved in the offense. The Nuggets led 50-44 in the first half but suffered an 11-3 run within two minutes into the third period. That was the closest the Timberwolves came to reversing the situation on Tuesday.

However, Jokic shut the opponents down immediately with a series of incredible moves. He first delivered three assists for Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jamal Murray to gain the lead back. Then Jokic scored 16 points in six minutes, beating every kind of defense the Timberwolves tried on him. With Gobert, Jokic used his footwork and hook shots against him. With Towns, he cut in without the ball, and with Reid, Jokic used his power advantage in the low post.

The Nuggets were sitting on a 14-point lead (88-74) at the end of the third quarter. Jokic got only five points and one assist in the final period, but when he knocked down a triple in front of Gobert at 3:09 to extend his team's lead to 14 points (106-92), he basically sealed the deal for the reigning champions.

The Nuggets' defense was also integral to their victory on Tuesday. Instead of trying to wear Anthony Edwards out by allowing him to score but cutting his connections with his teammates, like they did in Game 4, the Nuggets spared no effort in trying to shut Edwards down. Whenever he had the ball and wherever he went, the 22-year-old ace faced at least two defenders. He delivered nine assists but with four turnovers. The rest of the Timberwolves made only seven of their 21 attempts outside the 3-point line, proving the Nuggets gamble that the Timberwolves couldn't beat them without Edwards' offensive dominance right.

Jalen Brunson, MVP of New York City

On Tuesday, the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 121-91 in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York City, leading the series 3-2.

Jalen Brunson owned the arena on Tuesday night. He scored 44 points and seven assists for the Knicks to win the key battle at home. Both he and Josh Hart played through the 12 minutes in the first quarter, combining to get 20 points to lift their team from a seven-point deficit (16-9) to a six-point lead (38-32).

The two teams witnessed an excellent "solo dance" by Brunson, who went 7-for-9 in field goals (FGs) to contribute 18 points. It was his seventh time scoring over 20 points in the half of a game in the playoffs this year, more than anyone else in the league. He is also only one game away from matching Bernard King to lead the Knicks' franchise in the number of games in which he made 40+ points.

The Knicks also dominated the Pacers on the glass in Tuesday's game. They outrebounded the opponents 53-29 and led 20-5 in offensive rebounds. Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein combined to grab 28 rebounds, only one fewer than the entire Pacers team.

Game 6 of the series will be held on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.