The Denver Nuggets jersey seems to bring out Jaden McDaniels’s ruthless side. He scathingly criticized them as “bad defenders.” But the Timberwolves forward didn’t just talk- he backed it up under pressure, piling on when Denver was down and still getting the last laugh. He didn’t mind ruffling a few feathers, including Nikola Jokic, at the end of Game 4.
That moment didn’t go unnoticed around the league. Draymond Green believes the Joker was playing a bigger game in that moment, too. Jaden McDaniels broke the code by scoring a late layup after the game was already decided. Jokic took exception, but appeared to wait for the right moment to respond. Green believes that patience was intentional- a mental move designed to bait McDaniels into reacting.
“What I think Joker was trying to do is I think he was trying to get Jaden McDaniels to react the wrong way so that Jaden McDaniels could get thrown out of the next game. I think it was a mental play by Joker to try to get Jaden McDaniels to go over the top. A guy who’s been telling them all y’all defend y’all team are bad defenders and y’all can’t guard us,” he said on The Draymond Green Show.
The playoff history is filled with stars baiting opponents into costly mistakes. A classic example came during the 2016 NBA Finals, when Draymond Green himself was drawn into an altercation with LeBron James. Green’s retaliatory swipe led to a suspension for Game 5- a turning point that shifted the entire series. That moment remains one of the clearest examples of how emotional reactions, whether provoked or not, can decide championships.
If tensions had escalated further here, a similar consequence wasn’t out of the question. Nikola Jokic could have faced suspension as well, given that he helped spark the confrontation. McDaniels’ late layup may have violated an unwritten rule, but it wasn’t an overt act of aggression. Still, Green praised McDaniels for how he handled the aftermath.
“Jaden McDaniels, um, he has swung this series, and he’s living up to everything that he said, and he didn’t react. He didn’t even get a fine for the incident at the end of the game,” Green added.
Jokic and Julius Randle received fines for their involvement in prompting and escalating the brawl, respectively. McDaniels simply smiled, fully aware of the impact he had made. Call it mean or foul play, but he has embraced the role of villain in this series.
That edge helped define Minnesota’s momentum until circumstances shifted.
When fully healthy, the Minnesota Timberwolves grew with Jaden McDaniels, matching his energy with a string of strong performances. But in Game 4, the unthinkable happened. Donte DiVincenzo suffered a season-ending injury, while Anthony Edwards is expected to miss multiple weeks after landing awkwardly.
Those losses have dramatically altered the series. Game 5 made that clear. The Timberwolves had six double-digit scorers, yet they struggled to contain Denver’s offense, with Jokic recording a series-high 16 assists and a +18 differential. Without Edwards driving the attack, more responsibility has shifted to Mike Conley to handle the ball and initiate offense.
That adjustment has come at a cost. Conley can steady the offense, but he doesn’t replicate Edwards’ explosiveness or scoring pressure. This is why Green, even before Game 5, had already made his grim prediction.
“Now, they got the injuries. We’ll see. Can they still live up to it? But unfortunately, I think this series is going to end up going seven. because the injuries are going to be tough to overcome. We shall see,” he said on his podcast.
Beyond the immediate absences, the ripple effects are everywhere. The loss of DiVincenzo’s floor spacing has put added pressure on the remaining shooters, while Edwards’ absence removes the team’s most dynamic playoff performer. That burden now falls heavily on McDaniels, Julius Randle, and the supporting cast. Still, they return home next, where the crowd could provide a much-needed lift.
But they will still need another inspired, near-flawless performance like Game 4. Can the Wolves find an unexpected standout to fill the void and swing momentum back in their favor? If they do, they have a real shot at closing the series. If not, and Denver steals a road win, Minnesota will face a win-or-go-home Game 7 without key contributors.
That’s the harsh reality of the playoffs: depth gets tested, and injuries reshape everything overnight. If the Timberwolves fall short at home, this series may ultimately be remembered not for the battles on the court but for the stars they lost along the way.
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