Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double to keep the Denver Nuggets' playoff hopes alive with a 125-113 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Serbian star contributed 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists, while Jamal Murray added 24 points to help Denver avoid elimination after trailing 3-1 in the series.
"We had to play like we were down 3-1," Murray said. "I think we did a good job of bringing energy into the game and playing for 48 minutes, not letting up off the gas. That was a great team win."
Game six of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday in Minneapolis.
In other playoff action, Cade Cunningham scored a game-high 25 points, but his Detroit Pistons fell 94-88 to the Orlando Magic. The top-seeded Pistons now trail 3-1 in the series and face elimination. Orlando, the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, has not advanced past the first round since 2010.
The Western Conference's top seed, Oklahoma City Thunder, secured a spot in the second round with a 131-122 win over the Phoenix Suns, completing a 4-0 sweep. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points.
"We just came in ready," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We do it for each other. None of us are selfish. We all want the next man to succeed and when you have those three things and put them together you get success."
Oklahoma City will face either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Houston Rockets in the next round, with the Lakers leading that series 3-1.
Flagg Named Rookie of the Year
Teenager Cooper Flagg was named NBA Rookie of the Year, narrowly beating former Duke roommate Kon Knueppel. At 19, Flagg is the second-youngest winner of the award, behind LeBron James.
"I think you talk about pressure and things like that, this season was a lot different going into it and what I was expecting and how the season ended up turning out," Flagg said. "I think dealing with that and adjusting and kind of getting thrown in on the fly right away like that helped me long-term and throughout the season, just getting really comfortable. I think I grew in a lot of different areas."
Selected first overall in last year's draft by the Dallas Mavericks, Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, joining Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Luka Doncic as the only rookies to average at least 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists since the NBA-ABA merger.