Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman was not pleased after his team squandered an early lead Monday at Ball Arena. The Nuggets fell 119-114 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round.
Minnesota erased a 19-point deficit to tie the series 1-1 and steal home-court advantage. The series now heads to Minneapolis, with Game 3 set for Thursday at Target Center.
At the center of the meltdown was an uncharacteristic late-game gaffe from Nikola Jokic. Down two points with 25 seconds remaining, Jokic gave up a wide-open floater for a kick-out to Braun.
Braun went to the line and converted just one of two free throws. Denver never recovered.
After the game, Adelman had plenty to say about his best player's blunder.
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Adelman had no shortage of praise for Jokic despite the loss. The three-time MVP still delivered 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. But the coach held the eight-time All-Star accountable. Adelman made clear it is always in Denver's best interest for Jokic to attack those opportunities.
Still, Adelman pointed to Jokic's unselfishness as a defining trait. The Nuggets superstar always looks to see if a teammate has a better shot. This time, it was simply an oversight.
Jokic admitted after the game that he should have taken the shot. Adelman offered his unwavering support to Denver's cornerstone superstar.
"You always want him to shoot that shot," Adelman said in his postgame interview. "But he sees what he sees out there. He's playing. And if he sees his teammate open, he's gonna make that play. … I trust the best player in the world to make the decisions he makes."
To be fair, Jokic had reason to look elsewhere down the stretch. He shot just 1-of-7 from the field and 0-of-2 from three in the fourth quarter. He recorded zero free throw attempts and only one assist in the final 12 minutes.
Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with a team-high 30 points. But Minnesota's defense blanketed him late. With Murray smothered, Jokic looked to Braun rather than creating his own shot.
Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets must now lick their wounds and shift focus to Game 3 on Thursday.
