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Jaden McDaniels of the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves failed to eliminate the Denver Nuggets on Monday in Game 5 of their first-round series matchup.

Without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves fell a little flat for the majority of the game. They tried to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, but Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were too much.

Jokic had a triple-double of 27 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists, while Murray contributed 24 points, four rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Spencer Jones had  big game filling in for Aaron Gordon, finishing with 20 points, three rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

Julius Randle 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the Timberwolves’ 125-113 defeat. Jaden McDaniels was a bit quiet with just 13 points and three boards. They head back home to Minneapolis for Game 6 on Thursday.

Jaden McDaniels Makes Bold Claim After Game 5

GettyJaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves collects a loose ball as Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets reacts during the fourth quarter in Game Five of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 27, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.

While Jaden McDaniels has always been the quiet one among the Timberwolves, he has embraced his villanous side against the Nuggets in this series.

It started after Game 2 when McDaniels called all Nuggets players bad defenders before following it up by nearly inciting a brawl at the end of Game 4. He made a basket at the dying seconds of their huge win, prompting Nikola Jokic to confront him.

Speaking to reporters after Game 5, McDaniels seemed pretty chill despite getting booed by the Ball Arena crowd. He was also pretty confident about the Timberwolves’ chances of finishing things off in the next game.

“I love this environment, everyone hating me, all the hate’s coming toward me,” McDaniels said, via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I love it, I don’t care, I feed into it. It just brings the best out of me. We just ended up losing today, but we’re going to win the next one.”

It was a pretty bold statement from McDaniels since the Timberwolves are going to be without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo for the rest of the series. Edwards was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee, while DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles tendon.

Nikola Jokic Trolls Timberwolves Before End of Game 5

GettyNikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets calls a play during the first half of a game against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on April 1, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Things remained mildly calm between the Timberwolves and Nuggets in Game 5. There was some heated moments here and there, but it was a relatively quiet contest.

Nikola Jokic, who made headlines for grabbing Jaden McDaniels near the end of Game 4, trolled the Timberwolves in the dying moments of Monday’s game.

With about 20 seconds left, Jokic handed the ball to Joan Beringer. The three-time NBA MVP quickly tried to grab the ball back to force a jump ball. He didn’t even try in the jump ball, smiling and laughing as the buzzer sounded.

It’s going to be a pretty exciting Game 6 in Minneapolis. The Nuggets appeared to have got their mojo back after playing their best game of the series. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, remained confident of their chances of ending it in a few days.