MINNEAPOLIS — Monte Morris would be lying if he claimed this very situation wasn’t one of the first hypotheticals that occurred to him after the trade.

“I thought about it,” he admitted as his Minnesota Timberwolves were preparing to face the Nuggets in the playoffs. “I’m like, ‘That’ll be a great story.'”

Matching up against his former team in the playoffs was an impossibility at the halfway point of this season, when Morris was playing for the lottery-bound Detroit Pistons. It was a distant idea on Feb. 7, when he got traded to the Timberwolves to supply point guard depth as they geared up for a deep run. It’s a reality now, with Minnesota and Denver entrenched in a second-round series.

The man behind that trade, of course, was the man whose fingerprints are all over this rematch. Morris said the idea of a Nuggets vs. Timberwolves series even came up in conversation after the trade with Tim Connelly, the Denver-turned-Minnesota president of basketball operations who drafted Morris back in 2017.

“You can’t get around it,” Morris said. “The best two teams in the league were gonna run into each other eventually. They brought me over here for playoff basketball, so I was just trying to get back in shape and everything for moments like this.”

He spent the first five seasons of his career in Denver, playing 280 games and starting 105. He averaged 10.5 points and 3.7 assists. He grew into a fan favorite. Consider this, then, a warm if competitive reunion for Morris rather than a thorny grudge match. He still talks with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. regularly. “Just checking in with everybody,” he said. “Seeing how their family and stuff are doing. Everything ain’t gotta be around basketball.”

The role Morris plays in Minnesota isn’t substantial enough for him to be a factor in the series result. The Timberwolves only needed two points from him the first two games to take a commanding lead on the Nuggets. But his minutes, however limited, are integral in steadying the workload of starters such as Mike Conley.

Those first two games at Ball Arena also gave Morris an opportunity to reflect on his time in Denver, when he was a building block but not a cog in the final product that is the banner hanging over this series.

“I feel like I had a good run here,” Morris said. “We didn’t win a championship, but we had chances. Good teams. Some injuries kind of deterred that, but I feel like around this time, the healthiest team will normally, usually win it. It’s cool, man. Me and Coach Malone got a lot of love for each other. Speak all the time. During the games, we talk and chatter. And over the phone. So it’s cool to come back in this building. It feels like home still.”

MINNEAPOLIS – The strength of the wolf is the pack. The strength of the champ is the heart.

Isn’t it time the Nuggets punched back?

The math demands it. The Nuggets enter Game 3 facing a two-game deficit with critics calling them a one-hit wonder. Eleven months ago, the Nuggets made history, winning their first title. Now, suddenly, they are Dexys Midnight Runners or Soft Cell?

I refuse to believe it.

I do not give the Nuggets much chance of winning the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves — we will know by halftime Friday if there is a sliver of hope — but I do expect them to play with passion, pride and purpose.

Stop crying foul more than Chick-fil-A. The NBA clearly decided internally that the playoffs were not going to look like the All-Star Game or the first half of the season. Want an unobstructed path to the rim? Go to Dave & Buster’s. Desire to be guarded without contact? Hire the Secret Service.

The refs are letting them play. It feels jarring, if not unfair. Such is life. Enough with the grousing. Time to start competing in a way worthy of the banner that hangs at Ball Arena.

That’s what we all want to see. It is difficult to maintain a razor’s edge after winning a ring. I covered the 2016 Broncos. They struggled with their identity once they sat on the throne. They were pulled in a million directions, coach Gary Kubiak battled a medical condition, Peyton Manning retired and they lost multiple players, among them fang-bearing defensive end Malik Jackson. They missed the playoffs. Haven’t been back since.

The Nuggets are different. Their starting five, considered the NBA’s best, returned. And while Jamal “Onto Minnesota” Murray is compromised by a left calf injury, the Nuggets have no excuses. So, their bench is weak. So what? Are we really going to let the absence of Bruce Brown and Uncle Jeff Green provide a pass for what has happened in this series?

Please.

This is about the hunter struggling to adjust to being hunted. The boxer hitting snooze for his 5 a.m. street work when he is sleeping in satin sheets. The Nuggets look fatigued. But with a three-day layoff, isn’t it time they show they are tired of serving as a speed bag for the Timberwolves?

It starts with Nikola Jokic and Murray. Jokic won his third MVP in four years on Wednesday. He is an all-time great. But the national media cannot wait to dismiss him and this team, heck a petty Shaquille O’Neal told him he wasn’t worthy of the league’s top prize three seconds after he won it.

Jokic needs to be selfish. This runs contrary to his basketball DNA. But making the extra pass is not working. With Rudy Gobert floating in the paint and Karl-Anthony Towns leaning on him, Jokic needs to establish position, dribble less and shoot more. Gobert is baiting Jokic to pass to Aaron Gordon at the rim. It is tempting, but a trap.

The Timberwolves want Jokic to relinquish the rock because they do not believe anyone else can beat them. Not Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Not Michael Porter Jr. Not Gordon. And especially not Murray, who has been awful.

The star guard lacks explosiveness, and his leg issue is affecting his jump shot. He has scored two points in the first half in this series. Murray must be better, not bitter. And the motivation will be ringing in his ears Friday as I expect him to be booed ruthlessly every time he touches the ball after he escaped suspension for throwing items onto the court during live play in Game 2.

Murray is capable of taking over a fourth quarter. The Nuggets need him to show up in the first. The Nuggets have had more trouble starting than my lawnmower, trailing six of the seven first quarters in the playoffs.

They do not need Bubble Jamal. But they cannot win with Baby Jamal. He must set an example as a leader. His intensity can bleed into the team’s defense. Pope and Christian Braun must poke the bear. Make Anthony Edwards uncomfortable and irritable. And no free layups. When Towns and Naz Reid drive the lane, contest the shot with contact. Give DeAndre Jordan a couple of minutes of roughneck duty.

I am not advocating for the nostalgic 1980s Pistons or the 1990s Knicks. But the Timberwolves need to feel the Nuggets’ presence. Denver needs to stand its ground.

Jokic and Murray are too good to let this team go out like this.

The Nuggets are still the defending champions. It’s time they acted like it.

Colorado State men’s basketball announced the signings of three players for the 2024-25 season, and two others have reportedly made their commitments, as the Rams look to rebuild a roster depleted by graduation and transfers.

Thursday on social media, CSU announced the addition of transfer Bowen Born, a 5-foot-11 guard from Northern Iowa.

Born played in 118 games with 89 starts at Northern Iowa. He averaged 12.6 points per game there, scoring 1,486 points during his tenure. His best year was his junior season, when he averaged 17.9 points per game.

On Tuesday, CSU announced the addition of Ethan Morton, a 6-foot-7 transfer guard from Purdue, where he played in 132 games for the Boilermakers. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

During his time at Purdue, he averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 assists per game. As a starter in 2022-23, he averaged a career-best 3.8 points.

Late last week, CSU announced the signing of Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Arkansas-Little Rock.

The forward was the Ohio Valley Conference freshman of the year last season at Little Rock. He started 32 games and averaged 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 50.4% from the field.

Leading the duo of unofficial commitments is Serbian native Nikola Djapa, a 7-foot transfer from Long Island University. While Djapa hasn’t announced his commitment over social media, multiple news outlets have confirmed that he has said he is transferring to CSU.

The center played in 29 games as a freshman last season at Long Island. He averaged 6.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 21.5 minutes per game, starting 27 times.

Adding to the backcourt is 6-foot-4 guard Keyshawn Williams. Williams, who was recruited by CSU out of high school, opted to start his career at Tulsa and spent the past three seasons at Northern Illinois.

He announced his commitment to the Rams on his Instagram account April 29, writing, “Looks familiar?” while tagging CSU men’s basketball and adding the hashtag “committed” under a photo in a CSU uniform in the Rams’ locker room.

In 2022-23, Williams was averaging 18 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game before suffering a torn ACL. He has played 64 career Division I games, starting 39 of them. He has averaged 12.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in his career.

With the five additions, the Rams have filled 12 of their 13 scholarship spots. Those 12 include Nique Clifford, who declared for the NBA draft but still has the option to return to CSU as he has not entered the transfer portal.

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After winning his third NBA MVP, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic spent 15 minutes Wednesday answering questions from local reporters about a variety of topics, from his late mentor Dejan Milojevic to his love of Denver; from his respect for Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon to his own career timeline as he nears 30. The questions included below are paraphrased for brevity and clarity, and Jokic’s responses are shortened in some cases.

You’re never shy about your disinterest in the MVP race. How have your feelings toward the award changed since the first time you won? Have you accepted more that it’s a part of your annual reality now, or do you feel more opposed to it than you did the first time?

Jokic: “I cannot control it. I mean, I can control it. But I cannot control it. So if they’re gonna put me in that conversation — it’s been three or four years now — I think I’m kind of used to it, so I don’t even pay attention anymore. So probably a good problem to have.”

When you were playing in Serbia, how beyond the realm of possibility did it feel to someday be the best player in the NBA, let alone make it to the league?

Jokic: “To be honest, I liked last year when I didn’t get (the MVP) and then we won a championship. Much better. But I don’t know what to say. It’s a journey. It’s a process. It’s trusting your teammates, teammates trusting you. It’s just a whole collective effort that put me in front of, like, the bright spotlight. And I’m kind of the guy, but there’s a lot of people, players, coaches, strength coaches, development coaches, medical staff behind me. Family, of course. You guys don’t see it, and I’m just one of them.”

What does it mean to have family here at Ball Arena for the moment of the announcement?

Jokic: “I didn’t invite them. They just showed up. I’m like, who wants to drive 45 minutes here to get it? … It’s nice. It’s a special moment that probably I’m gonna remember my whole life.”

Will there be a time when you stop to think about your place in history, being one of nine players to win three MVPs?

Jokic: “When I won the first time, I was like, ‘OK, this is cool. This is nice.’ When I won the second time, the list was way shorter. And now the list is kind of short short. So I’m just happy to be part of that group of guys, which is not a bad group of guys, right? … It’s a legacy for after the career, and I think I’m gonna be more, maybe, proud of myself after my career than I am right now.”

Has fatherhood changed how you view legacy at all?

Jokic: “Yes, in a good way. Basketball doesn’t mean that much. And probably that helps me, too. It’s a job. It’s a thing that I like, of course. I like to play the game. Everything else, eh. But yes, being a father, that means that you don’t play just for yourself or just the teammates you have. … Maybe when you’re older, you don’t want (your children and grandchildren) to look at your videos or whatever and say that you were bad. Hopefully I can talk a lot of trash when my kids or my nephews grow up. So I’m gonna be a cool grandpa.”

What did Dejan ‘Deki’ Milojevic mean to you? (Jokic’s former coach in Serbia, who died this year when he was an assistant coach for the Warriors)

Jokic: “He meant to me more now when he was not a coach to me anymore. He was my friend. He was our family friend. He was always in my house when he was here, and we were always going to his house when we were in Golden State. So it was just like a really, really quality friendship, with a lot of telling truth between each other and being honest. I think Deki was a guy who you always want to have as a friend. Someone who’s going to tell you how it is with no lying and no trying to hide anything.”

You’re wearing your warm-up shirt that pays tribute to Milojevic. Is today a day to reflect on people like him who have helped your development? How significant was he in that regard?

Jokic: “To be honest, I’m wearing this shirt pretty much every day. Especially when I’m in the training facility. Deki was a guy who gave me freedom. He showed me the way how you’re supposed to do things: act, train, work out, having positive energy, having positive attitude. You can just see how many players and people he affected. He had a positive effect on me, like I said, probably more now as a friend than when he was my coach. But yes, basketball-wise, he gave me the freedom to do whatever I want to do. And he trusted me, and I can just say thank you.”

People often debate the greatest athletes in Denver sports history, whether it’s John Elway or Joe Sakic. What does it mean to be in a conversation with those local figures?

Jokic: “I’ve heard about them. It’s — (laughs) — I don’t want to start this conversation. Can we not? You know, living in Denver, whatever, being a part of Denver, I think it’s cool to have, even hockey right now. I think it’s just, enjoy the moment. Because I was here when we were not that good. And everybody was talking bad to us and thinking bad of us. So just enjoy the moment. Enjoy the process. Because it’s gonna pass, probably. Everything passes. This is gonna pass, too. So I think enjoy the moment and be happy.”

What’s your relationship to how beloved you’ve become in Denver with this fanbase?

Jokic: “This is gonna be my second home (someday), and hopefully I’m gonna come one time here after I finish career and still have friends here. I feel the respect that they show me. I’m hanging at Washington Park and everybody’s treating me — like, they’re really respectful. And I really appreciate it. Nobody’s really, I’m gonna say, aggressively bugging me. Does that make any sense? Because I’m with a kid, and they really respect me, and I really appreciate that. They’re a really good fanbase. I’m really happy that they’re on our side every time, when we are down or up. They’re our sixth player. And people in Denver, I think they are really, really, really chill.”

There’s a chance Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon wins the MVP award in the NHL. What are your thoughts on there potentially being two MVPs in the same building?

Jokic: “I watched a game back in February. They lost last night (in Game 1 vs. Dallas), right? They won? I didn’t watch it because I had other things to do. But I love the sport, first of all, and I love even being a fan. Like, when I’m going to the games. I’m a fan of the Avalanche. … And they’re trusting their players and they’re trusting Nathan. And he’s playing good. He’s really fast on those skates. It’s really, really fast, right? Because I don’t know how to skate. And how physical, how much energy (there) is when they play. It’s much better live than when you watch it on TV.”

How does this compare to the surprise party the Nuggets gave you in Serbia when you won MVP?

Jokic: “I mean, doesn’t mean that we’re not gonna do it (again). Maybe just not right away. But maybe when everything’s finished. Why not?”

As much as you’ve accomplished before the age of 30, have you thought about how long you want to play? What will determine when you retire someday?

Jokic: “Hopefully I’m gonna be ready. I think that the determination is gonna be if I can perform at a high level or not. I think I’m not gonna take a spot from some young guys or put the franchise down. As long as I can play on the highest level and help the team, I think I’m gonna play until then.”

Nikola Jokic has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the third time in four years. He joins an exclusive club of players who won three or more MVPs that includes only eight others in NBA history. So just how well does the Joker’s four-year run stack up against the other greats’ best? Here’s a look:

Bill Russell, Celtics

Years: 1959-1963

The stats: 17.7 points, 23.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 47.5 TS%, .198 WS/48, 306 games, 13,537 minutes

The honors: 3x MVP, 4x NBA champion, 1x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team

Much like his rival, Wilt Chamberlain, the challenge with Russell is picking which four-year run is his apex — and with limited numbers to do so. The NBA didn’t count blocks or steals and didn’t select an All-Defensive team during his time. Nor was there player tracking data or advanced numbers that could account for things like his one-on-one defense. Still, Russell leads in the stat that matters: four championships in four years, which was part of a run of eight straight from 1959 to ’66. Nobody touches that.

Wilt Chamberlain, 76ers/Lakers

Years: 1965-1969

The stats: 25.6 points, 23.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 57.2 TS%, .252 WS/48, 323 games, 14,924 minutes played

The honors: 3x MVP, 1x NBA champion, 3x All-NBA First Team, 1x scoring champion, 4x rebounding champion

Again, good luck picking out which four-year run was Wilt’s best. Certainly, he had better stretches in terms of scoring (42.9 points/game from 1959-63). But this particular four-year window in the late ’60s is notable for a few reasons. First, he won three straight MVPs from 1966 to ’68. Second, he became one of the game’s most accomplished passers. His minutes-played numbers are incredible, especially in an era when players flew commercial on the road. Wilt missed five games during this period. Total.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bucks

Years: 1970-74

The stats: 30.9 points, 15.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 58.9 TS%, .309 WS/48, 320 games, 13,673 minutes

The honors: 3x MVP, 1x NBA champion, 1x Finals MVP, 4x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-Defense (1x First Team), 2x scoring champion

The best run of Kareem’s career is missing some context. The NBA didn’t count blocks and steals until the 1973-74 season, and he led the league in blocks/game four times after that. Still, his win shares per 48 minutes — an advanced stat that attempts to quantify a player’s overall impact on winning — is the best of any player in this group. Five of his six NBA championships came later, but helping Oscar Robertson win one in Milwaukee deserves a tip of the cap.

Moses Malone, Rockets/76ers

Years: 1979-1983

The stats: 27.3 points, 14.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 57.5 TS%, .212 WS/48, 3.4 BPM, 321 games, 12,705 minutes

The honors: 2x MVP, 1x NBA champion, 1x Finals MVP, 2x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-Defense (First Team), 3x rebounding champion.

Less celebrated than his contemporaries, the 6-foot-10 Malone was easily the most dominant rebounder of his era and a load in the paint. While his advanced stats trail nearly everyone on this list, this particular four-year run saw him nab two of his three MVP awards, culminating with the “Fo’ Fo’ Fo'” 76ers rampaging to an NBA championship. The center opposite him in those NBA Finals that ended in a four-game sweep? Some guy named Kareem.

Larry Bird, Celtics

Years: 1983-1987

The stats: 26.6 points, 9.9 rebounds. 6.9 assists, 58.2 TS%, .235 WS/48, 8.6 BPM, 315 games, 12,307 minutes

The honors: 3x MVP, 2x NBA champion, 2x Finals MVP, 4x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-Defense (Second Team)

Bird became just the third player in NBA history to win three straight MVPs during this four-year stretch — a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since. This period is, of course, defined by Bird’s rivalry with Magic Johnson, with the Celtics and Lakers meeting three times in the NBA Finals and Magic’s Lakers coming out on top twice. It’s been argued that the 1985-86 Celtics — 67-15, 40-1 at home — represent the greatest team in NBA history. That was also the last of the Legend’s three MVPs.

Magic Johnson, Lakers

Years: 1986-1990

The stats: 22.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 12.1 assists, 60.8 TS%, .251 WS/48, 8.6 BPM, 308 games, 11,364 minutes.

The honors: 3x MVP, 2x NBA champion, 1x Finals MVP, 4x All-NBA First Team, 1x assist champion.

The other half of one of the NBA’s great rivalries, Magic assumed control of the NBA by the latter half of the 1980s. At this point, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was on the tail end of his career, and Magic was entering his prime with three MVP awards in four seasons (Michael Jordan won the other). Known for his ability to orchestrate an offense, he was the NBA’s assist leader just once over this four-year run, but his scoring peaked as he became an efficient shooter who was near automatic at the free-throw line (87.6%).

Michael Jordan, Bulls

Years: 1989-1993

The stats: 31.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 58.8 TS%, .287 WS/48, 11.1 BPM, 322 games, 12,400 minutes

The honors: 2x MVP, 3x NBA champion, 3x Finals MVP, 4x All-NBA First Team, 4x All-Defense (First Team), 4x scoring champion

Had Jordan played four full seasons around his second three-peat, there might be a debate over which is his best four-year span. Even then, probably not. Not only did Jordan claim the first of two three-peats during this stretch, but he was also the scoring champ all four seasons and All-Defense all four seasons while twice leading the league in steals and games played. Throw in his playoff numbers (34.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 50.1% shooting over 74 games) and this run is unassailable.

LeBron James, Cavaliers/Heat

Years: 2009-2013

The stats: 27.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 61.0 TS%, .290 WS/48, 10.6 BPM, 293 games, 11,232 minutes

The honors: 3x MVP, 2x NBA champion, 2x  Finals MVP, 4x All-NBA First Team, 4x All-Defense (First Team)

The ascent of King James begins here, when LeBron made “The Decision” and broke Cavaliers fans’ hearts by taking his talents to South Beach. The efficiency and two-way consistency speak volumes as a four-time All-NBA and All-Defense selection. But playoff pitfalls — a 4-2 Celtics series loss to end his first Cleveland stint, and an NBA Finals no-show vs. the Mavs in 2010-11 — haunt this period of LeBron’s career. Oddly enough, he hasn’t won another MVP since claiming No. 4 in 2012-13.

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

Years: 2020-2024

The stats: 26.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 66.3 TS%, .301 WS/48, 13.0 BPM, 294 games, 10,024 minutes

The honors: 3x MVP, 1x NBA champion*, 1x NBA Finals MVP*, 3x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team

An argument could be made that this four-year stretch is as good or better than any in NBA history. Ignore, for a moment, that Jokic fell one spot shy of becoming the first player to win four straight NBA MVP awards (thanks, Joel Embiid). Instead focus on the advanced stats. Jokic’s 66.3 true shooting percentage is the best of the lot. His win shares per 48 trails only Kareem. And his Box Plus/Minus (BPM) number is easily the best — although that obviously doesn’t include Wilt, Russell or Kareem. Simply put, Jokic has been no joke.

Source: basketball-reference.com

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5. Perfect Triple-Doubles

When/where: Dec. 28, 2023 and Feb. 22, 2024; Ball Arena

The only proper way to begin a contained list of Jokic moments is by cheating. So, in his honor, here’s a quick two-for-one. In Jokic’s first eight seasons, he had two triple-doubles while also shooting 100% from the floor. He had only one game without a missed shot on double-digit attempts. So the pair of “perfect triple-doubles” he pulled off this season were rare even for him. Both were galvanizing landmarks, too. Against Memphis in December (26 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 for 11), he jump-started a nine-game heater in which he shot 81%. And against Washington out of the All-Star break (21, 19 and 15 on 10-for-10 shooting), he checked off the last opponent he hadn’t registered a triple-double against. It started Denver on a 21-6 run to end the season.

4. Huge shot, heavy heart

When/where: Jan. 23, 2024; Gainbridge Fieldhouse

When Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic suddenly died at age 46, the entire basketball community mourned. But the loss was personal for Jokic. Milojevic was his head coach in Serbia before both made it in the NBA. As he navigated a difficult week, Jokic didn’t speak publicly the first two games after Milojevic’s death. The third game was a barn-burner in Indianapolis, where Jokic’s 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer put the Nuggets ahead 114-109 with 6.1 seconds remaining, icing a resilient win. Speaking about Milojevic after the 31-point triple-double, he was short and sweet: “I love him.”

3. Invisible Alley-Oop

When/where: Oct. 27, 2023; FedExForum

Even the live local broadcasts were caught asleep, adding an elusive aura to one of the finest assists of Jokic’s career. During the second game of the season, he snatched the ball from an official next to Denver’s bench, which was at the defensive end of the floor. While the Grizzlies were still arguing a call, he inbounded the ball with a casual Hail Mary that traveled 71 feet and 9 inches, at an average velocity of 30.6 mph, until it reached Aaron Gordon. In mid-air. Right above the rim. For an easy dunk. Jamal Murray even confessed he didn’t see the alley-oop.

2. Streak Breaker

When/where: Jan. 19, 2024; TD Garden

It was the halfway point of the season, and the Celtics were still undefeated at home (20-0) when the Nuggets made their annual visit to Boston. The two-man game between Jokic and Murray was not to be denied. They became the only reliable source of offense, accounting for 31 of Denver’s 47 points in the second half of a 102-100 statement win. Jokic finished the night with 34 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists on 14-of-22 shooting — the classic idea of an “MVP moment.”

1. Bay Area Buzzer Beater

When/where: Jan. 4, 2024; Chase Center

It might age as the most replayed, revisited shot of Jokic’s career. The Nuggets miraculously climbed back from an 18-point deficit in the final 6:34 of regulation, all building to a timeout in the backcourt with 3.6 seconds left. The score was 127-all. Jokic caught the inbound pass and made an unusual beeline toward a particular spot along the opposite sideline. It was far from the optimal route to get as close as possible to the basket before time expired. But Jokic’s IQ evidently overruled conventional wisdom. He pulled up with a hand in his face and banked a 40-footer at the buzzer — resulting in an image of a fierce, fervid Jokic that’ll live forever in Denver.

In another season of unpredictably dazzling passes and post moves, the most spontaneous scene of all involved Nikola Jokic simply walking off a basketball court.

It was January in Washington after a 42-point masterclass against an unimpressive opponent. A throng of Wizards fans flocked to the corner of their arena where Jokic would disappear down the tunnel toward the locker room. The enemy sent him off with an ovation. “There’s a lot of talented players in this league,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said afterward, “but if you don’t love Nikola Jokic, I don’t know what you’re looking for.”

Jokic, 29, was named Most Valuable Player in the NBA for the third time in his career Wednesday night, beating out finalists Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) for the 2023-24 prize.

He is the ninth three-time MVP in league history, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Moses Malone. Only seven players have won the award three times in a four-year stretch.

Jokic earned 79 of 99 first-place votes in a runaway victory. He was followed by Gilgeous-Alexander (15 first-place votes), Doncic (4) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (1). Voters rank their top-five. A first-place vote is worth 10 points. A second-place vote is worth seven points; third-place is worth five; fourth-place is three; and fifth-place is one. The lowest Jokic finished on anyone’s ballot was third place. He amassed 926 points. Gilgeous-Alexander was the runner-up with 640 points.

Since the implementation of a media voting panel in 1980-81, only three players have finished top-two in MVP voting four consecutive years: Bird, Tim Duncan and now Jokic. Russell and Abdul-Jabbar accomplished the feat under the old voting system.

Jokic finished the regular season ranked fifth in total points, third in total rebounds and second in total assists — top-five in all three categories for the second time in his career. He averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and nine assists per game, compiling 25 triple-doubles and shooting 58.3% from the field. His true shooting percentage eclipsed 65% for the third consecutive season.

“I think he’s stated his case pretty well,” longtime teammate Jamal Murray said Wednesday before the award was announced amid an awkward backdrop: Denver trailing a playoff series 2-0. “He does it every night. It’s hard to do what he does and face the kind of pressure that he does each and every day. He does it in the smallest ways. He makes everybody around us better. He’s a leader on the court and someone we expect greatness from every time he steps on the court. And he’s delivered. … He’s been so consistent all his career, all his MVP runs. He’s been so consistent. So I don’t expect one or two bad games to sway that in any way.”

When Jokic was on the court this season, the Nuggets outscored their opponents by 11.8 points per 100 possessions. When he was off the court, they were outscored by 8.6 points per 100 possessions, amounting to a 20.4-point difference in net rating. Denver’s 122.4 offensive rating with Jokic on the floor was more efficient than the best offensive team in the league, the Celtics (122.2). Denver’s 104.1 offensive rating without Jokic was lower than the worst offensive team in the league, the Grizzlies (106.8).

The Nuggets finished in a tie for the best record in the Western Conference. Their 57-25 regular season tied a franchise wins record. Jokic is the team’s only starter who has been named an All-Star in his career.

He averaged 101.3 touches per game, nearly 10 more than any other individual in the league, and 75.1 passes per game, 3.5 more than any other player. He led the NBA in most advanced metrics including player efficiency rating (31.0), win shares (17.0), win shares per 48 minutes (.299), offensive box plus/minus (9.0), defensive box plus/minus (4.2) and value over a replacement player (10.6).

“What I marvel at most importantly with Nikola the player is just the consistent greatness,” Malone said during the last week of the regular season, when he predicted Jokic would win the MVP again. “How he finds ways to, every single night, no matter who’s available around him, to bring that level of excellence every night and basically put that team on his back.”

Jokic’s first two MVPs were bestowed before he had won a championship, or even reached the NBA Finals. Each was accompanied, therefore, by a fair degree of scrutiny. He didn’t have the winning reputation to correspond with his individual accolades.

That’s different this time. Jokic owns a Finals MVP trophy. A month before the startling round of applause he received in Washington, another unusual scene paralleled it, speaking volumes about the growth of Jokic’s eminence outside Denver. It was Dec. 12 in Chicago, and for the second time in three weeks, Jokic had just been tossed from a game after arguing with referees.

This time, as he sauntered toward the locker room to serve his sentence, the crowd started booing. Not at Jokic. At the officials. Only one technical foul prompted the ejection. Disappointment and disgust permeated through United Center as Bulls fans watched the reason they’d purchased their tickets disappear for the night.

Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray took responsibility Wednesday for throwing objects in the direction of an official during a playoff game, attempting to deflect follow-up questions about the incident and emphasizing that he has moved on.

“It is what it is,” he said when asked about his punishment from the NBA, a $100,000 fine but no accompanying suspension. “I take full responsibility, so on to the next.”

When asked about his frustration boiling over, a terse Murray repeated that his focus is Game 3 against the Timberwolves. “I mean, it was two days ago,” he said. “Not much for me to say about it right now.” Murray then asked if reporters had any basketball questions for him when pressed further about his communication with the league regarding the incident.

Murray had departed the locker room without speaking to reporters Monday night after he threw a towel and a heat pack in the direction of lead official Marc Davis during a 106-80 loss.

“I’ve never seen that from Jamal. That was very uncharacteristic for me,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who had been unaware of the incident when asked about it during his postgame news conference. “And I think it was probably a combination of … taking a charge and it’s not called, a combination of not making shots at the level we know he’s capable of making, a combination of us being down 30 points to a team that we’re trying to beat to get to the Western Conference Finals. When you put that all in that boiling pot, man, that’s a lot to handle. And he didn’t handle it in the way he knows he needs to handle it, and I’m sure he told you guys that. But Jamal will bounce back. I have no doubt about that.”

Murray and the Nuggets trail their second-round series 2-0 as they fly to Minnesota on Thursday morning. Game 3 is Friday night at Target Center. Only five teams in NBA history have won a playoff series after losing the first two games at home, most recently the Clippers in 2021. Only 33 teams have rallied to win a series after falling behind 2-0 regardless of home court.

“As I told our players, is it possible? Yes. History tells us it’s possible,” Malone said. “But you have to participate in your own recovery. Just because it’s been done before doesn’t mean we’re going to do it. Only if we have the requisite mindset.”

Mental fortitude was Malone’s biggest concern as the Nuggets gathered for a film session, which featured nine clips from the Game 2 blowout — some offense, some defense. A significant element of Denver’s scoring struggle has been Minnesota’s relentless ball pressure. The Timberwolves, perhaps with Murray’s sore left calf in mind, have picked him up near mid-court, forcing him to reckon with his diminished ability to get separation from defenders. Even when it hasn’t resulted in a turnover, it has often led to Denver working late in the shot clock. The Nuggets were forced into bad, contested shots in Game 2. The Timberwolves blocked 12, even without their central rim protector, Rudy Gobert.

Malone refused to make injury excuses for Murray, echoing Murray’s own message about the calf, but the coach acknowledged that Denver has focused some of its practice time on finding ways to help Murray negotiate around any physical limitations.

“I think we just need to help (ball-handlers) out. Jamal can’t do that alone, and Joker can’t do that stuff alone,” Christian Braun said. “It’s gotta be a by-committee thing. They’re playing defense by committee. We’ve gotta help (Murray) out, whether it’s screening in the backcourt, somebody else bringing it up, whatever it is. Just get into our offense and play organized basketball. When we do that, we’re really tough to beat.”

Gobert is expected to return for Game 3 after the birth of his first child, meaning the Nuggets are likely to see more of a schematic identity that resembles the series opener from Minnesota. But the primary theme that translated to Game 2 regardless was the Timberwolves’ physicality. Malone stressed to Denver’s players to play through what they might perceive as fouls, rather than stopping to look at the officials.

“I was probably more disappointed with the, not on-the-court but off-the-court, our reaction to the adversity,” Malone said, speaking on not just Murray but the Nuggets collectively. “I’d never seen that in my nine years, and the first time in the last six years of making the playoffs. How when things got tough, we just kind of fell apart.”

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We began Monday talking about Rudy Gobert’s first baby and spent Tuesday discussing Jamal Murray acting like a toddler.

Is it any wonder the Nuggets trail 2-0 in the Western Conference semifinals?

They have dissolved before our eyes against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unable to match their opponent’s physicality, the Nuggets stamped their feet and sought a life raft from the officials in Game 2.

The only thing more embarrassing than the final score was the Nuggets’ actions. After stating their case eloquently in the first quarter, especially coach Michael Malone, the pleading should have been beneath them. We can all agree there were multiple bad calls and no calls. But let the fans roar in disgust. Instead, the Nuggets made it a convenient excuse for getting their ears boxed.

The Timberwolves respect the champion but do not fear them, running over, through and around them.

Rather than counterpunch, the Nuggets responded like the Lakers, throwing their arms in the air and clapping their hands sarcastically with whistles.

And that was their best behavior.

What Murray did in the second quarter was appropriately summed up by Timberwolves coach Chris Finch as “inexcusable and dangerous.”

Murray deserved a one-game suspension. The league, not surprisingly, did not have the stomach to give it to him. Instead, Murray was fined $100,000 on Tuesday for “throwing multiple objects in the direction of a game official during live play.”

He got off easy. This is not meant as a hot take, but rather a conclusion based on the aggregate of his actions. Murray made the money sign at a referee, a gesture that netted Gobert a $100,000 fine in March. Then, Murray completely lost his composure while seated on the end of the bench. With 4:57 remaining in the second quarter, he tossed a towel in referee Marc Davis’ direction.

Even if you give Murray the benefit of the doubt that he was punching his fist in frustration and the towel came loose from his grip, he undermined his defense by what he did next.

Sixteen seconds later, he can be seen clearly in video tossing a heat pack in Davis’ direction that reached the court as players battled near the rim. It came close to Karl-Anthony Towns’ feet and was ultimately picked up by Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and flipped out of bounds.

The good news is that no one was hurt. Based on my social media feeds, many believe this excuses Murray. No harm, no foul, even though freak accidents can and do happen. His intent was to hit the official, so no big deal, right?

Well, any fan throwing an object onto the court is ejected. How is this different? In fact, after Murray’s heat pad toss, the PA announcer reminded the crowd of the rules, figuring that is how the object ended up on the floor. I wonder if Murray wanted to get tossed. We remain unsure because he left Monday without addressing the media.

Davis, the crew chief, indicated that had he known Murray fired the heat pack, he would have received a technical foul, but not an ejection. An ejection, per Davis, requires a determination that the object was “thrown directly at somebody versus thrown in frustration.”

That is a reason why many NBA experts believe Murray escaped suspension. There is no specific rule against what he did. Do we really require section A, Roman numeral V to remind players that they cannot toss objects onto the court during live action?

Its absence represents more of a loophole than logic.

In a moment of anger, Murray endangered players. It would have been easy to ban him for Game 3. There is a bit of a precedent. The Miami Heat, in consultation with the NBA, suspended Dewayne Dedmon one game last season for hitting a chair so violently that it catapulted a theragun massage device near midcourt during live play.

Nothing, though, is ever linear with the NBA. There is always an arbitrary nature to its rulings that seem self-serving. And obviously, the league did not want the defending champ to face the Timberwolves in Game 3 without its second-best player. I hope Nuggets fans remember this if an opposing star acts this way against their team in the future.

The strongest argument for Murray only receiving a hefty fine remains his resume.

He has never been involved in anything like this. This was not Draymond Green choking a player or Patrick Beverly firing basketballs into the stands. Murray has conducted himself with character and class throughout his career.

But a fine without discipline makes it difficult to take the NBA seriously when it talks about player safety.

Murray made a shot in this postseason. He made another one. He was celebrated for both.

Then on a night when he was compromised by his left calf, leading to an awful performance, he made a mistake. He avoided a ban, so hopefully, he can learn from it and return to acting more like an adult.

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