Nikola Jokic had one of the worst shooting nights of his playoff career in Game 3 Thursday, going 7-of-26 from the field as the Denver Nuggets were blown out by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The loss put Denver in a 2-1 series hole. For a team that leans so heavily on Jokic to generate offense and bend defenses, a night when the big man couldn't buy a bucket cascaded through the entire operation. Minnesota made them pay.
Jokic missed 19 of his 26 attempts. That kind of volume with that kind of inefficiency is unusual for a player widely regarded as the most skilled offensive big man in the game. The Timberwolves, who have built their identity around suffocating interior defense, managed to make it an uncomfortable night from start to finish.
Denver now faces a must-win situation in Game 4 to avoid falling into a 3-1 deficit.
