David Adelman didn't give Nikola Jokić or Jamal Murray a breather with the Thunder on the ropes. He should regret that.

Nikola Jokić is the best basketball player on the planet, and he was also, importantly, the NBA's best player this season. But he is also almost certainly going to fall short in MVP voting to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for reasons that were on full display in Game 5.

Nikola Jokić lived up to his nickname on Friday, arriving at the Ball Arena wearing a Joker-inspired purple and green suit before helping the Denver Nuggets to a dramatic, overtime 113-104 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of their playoff series.

Wiggins and Wallace combined to shoot eight-for-15, including six-for-nine from deep. That made them outcasts in a sloppy night. They made shots, went hard to the glass (11 rebounds combined) and were aggressors on defense, to the point they kept Dort, the team’s defensive ace, on the bench.

Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokić has done it all in the last few seasons. He has won three of the last four Most Valuable Player awards, winning in the 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2023-24 seasons, has been selected to the All-Star team in each of the last seven seasons and perhaps,

Gordon wasn't wrong about officials catching Jokić in the act. The Nuggets' big man fouled out of the contest in the third quarter, essentially ending any hope of a Denver comeback. Jokić finished the game with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.