Denver secured a 112-97 win at home in Game 5 late Tuesday night, with the Timberwolves losing a third consecutive game for the first time this season and Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic delivering an NBA MVP performance and then some.
The series returns to Minneapolis for Game 6 on Thursday night, when the Wolves' season will be on the line.
Here are 10 observations on Tuesday's game:
1. Conley was missing,Towns was hurting and Edwards was struggling.
All of it contributed to Tuesday's loss at Denver in a Western Conference semifinal game that was all Jokic and the defending champion Nuggets.