'They destroyed us' – Nuggets Superstar Gets Candid on Blowout Loss

He acknowledged that the Timberwolves thoroughly outplayed them and deserved respect for their performance. When questioned about his preparation for games, Jokic stated that he prepared for playoff games the same way he did for regular-season games, knowing all the plays and calls. He mentioned that his approach had evolved over his time in the league, particularly from his fourth or fifth year when he began to understand his role and the opposition’s strategies better.

Nikola Jokic on Timberwolves Doubling Him Up in Game 6

Jokic also commented on the Timberwolves’ defensive adjustments, noting that they had not doubled him in the previous games but did so effectively in this one.

“Yes. They didn’t double me the last couple of games, so they doubled me today. But I think we—I mean, I think we created good shots most of the time. So we just didn’t knock them up, knock them down.”

This adjustment in their defensive approach was effective in limiting his impact on the game, even though Jokic mentioned that his team still managed to create good shots despite the double-teaming.

Jokic posted 22 points and added nine rebounds on the night. Despite creating good shots, his team failed to convert them.

Nikola Jokic went on to praise the Timberwolves for being the top defensive team in the NBA.

“They are amazing, they are a really good defensive team. They are number one defense in the NBA for sure, for a reason.”

He then reiterated the importance of recognizing and learning from this loss. Finally, when Jokic was asked to elaborate on his characterization of the loss as “great,” he explained that the team needed to accept their deficiencies and strive to improve.

“It’s a great loss, you know, they beat us. They were better than us in every segment of the game, and we need to accept it, you know, take it, and just try to try to be better next time. You know, when you lose by 45, it’s not like something happens every day, so just accept it.”

Discussing the upcoming Game 7, Jokic noted the unpredictable nature of such decisive games and reflected on the varied outcomes of the previous games in the series. He expressed hope that his team would perform well in the next game on Sunday.