The Minnesota Timberwolves weren’t ready for their season to end Tuesday.
The Denver Nuggets didn’t care.
After securing a dramatic Game 4 win in overtime to extend the series, the Timberwolves opened up a 15-point first-quarter leader in Game 5. But the top-seeded Nuggets ultimately did what they were expected to at home.
They responded to the early deficit to take a 48-47 halftime lead, then held off a late Timberwolves rally for a 112-109 win to secure a 4-1 series victory. Nikola Jokić led the way with his eighth career playoff triple-double. A 3-point play on a dish from Jamal Murray helped ice the game with 28 seconds remaining.
The Timberwolves had one last chance, trailing by three with the ball and 2.5 seconds remaining. But an Anthony Edwards 3-pointer bounced off the back of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
The Nuggets’ win sets up a second-round matchup against the Phoenix Suns, who eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers later Tuesday night. The Timberwolves are left seeking their first playoff series win since 2004.
Denver had to fight for this one. Edwards scored eight of the Minnesota’s first 13 points as the Timberwolves opened up an early 27-12 lead. They held a 29-22 edge after the first quarter.
Murray kept the Nuggets close and eventually led them to the one-point halftime edge in a 16-point first half. He made the highlight reel with an improbable turnaround floater over his head with his back to the basket.
Michael Porter Jr., meanwhile, failed to crack the scoreboard through two quarters. The game remained tight after halftime and went into the third quarter tied 77-77. Porter remained scoreless after missing his first seven field goals before breaking the drought with a dunk to extend Denver’s lead to 84-80.
The Nuggets maintained the edge for most of the fourth quarter, including a 102-96 lead with 2:58 remaining. But a 6-0 Timberwolves run capped by an Edwards layup tied the game at 102-102. A Karl-Anthony Towns jumper tied the game again at 104-104. But five straight points by Jokić gave the Nuggets a 109-104 lead with 28 seconds left.
Minnesota kept the pressure on in the game’s final seconds, but never retook the lead or tied the game again.
Jokić finished with 28 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in his second triple-double of the series. Murray led the scoring effort with 35 points alongside 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Porter hit his last three shots to finish with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals.
Edwards capped a stellar series that saw him average 31.6 points with a 29-point, 8-rebound, 7-assist effort. But he missed all six of his 3-point attempts, including an open look with a chance to tie the game at the buzzer.
Rudy Gobert tallied 16 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Towns had perhaps his best game of the series with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. But neither he nor Gobert were on the floor in the final seconds after both players fouled out.