MIN 117, DEN 108: Jokić Dominates With 68.1 Yahoo FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student · Dallas Mavericks fan
Jokic Put the Team on His Back but it Still Wasn't Enough
The Nikola Jokic show rolled into Denver last night and he was absolutely dominant, but sometimes even 68.1 Yahoo points isn't enough when your teammates don't show up. Timberwolves walked out of Ball Arena with a 117-108 W and honestly, this game tells you everything you need to know about why Denver's been sliding.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | 71.0 | 68.1 | 35/13/9 | 28.8/12.6/10.5 | +6.2 |
| Rudy Gobert | 41.0 | 42.0 | 7/15/4 | 10.9/11.5/1.7 | -3.9 |
| Anthony Edwards | 44.0 | 40.6 | 21/3/6 | 29.5/5.2/3.7 | -8.5 |
| Julius Randle | 36.0 | 38.3 | 14/9/7 | 21.5/6.9/5.4 | -7.5 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 42.0 | 34.1 | 17/3/5 | 13.0/4.4/4.2 | +4.0 |
| Jamal Murray | 28.0 | 34.0 | 25/5/4 | 25.3/4.4/7.3 | -0.3 |
| Jaden McDaniels | 33.0 | 26.7 | 20/1/3 | 15.2/4.4/2.9 | +4.8 |
| Naz Reid | 24.0 | 25.2 | 11/6/2 | 14.1/6.4/2.5 | -3.1 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 30.0 | 25.1 | 17/3/1 | 14.0/2.6/1.3 | +3.0 |
| Christian Braun | 24.0 | 23.7 | 15/6/1 | 10.8/4.7/2.8 | +4.2 |
The Jokic Problem (And It's Not Him)
Look, the reigning All-NBA first teamer went 15-26 from the field with 35 points, 13 boards, and 9 dimes. That's exactly the kind of stat line that should've won the game in a 9-point loss. He beat his season average by 6.2 points and was basically unstoppable. The issue is nobody else could carry any load.
Jamal Murray was the second option and he put up 25 on 9-22 shooting. Not terrible, but also very mortal. Only 34 Yahoo FP when you need your second star to go nuclear in a game like this. Tim Hardaway Jr. came off the bench and had probably his best game, dropping 17 on 5-6 with three 3s. That's the kind of complementary piece performance that looks good in a box score but wasn't enough to close the gap.
Christian Braun and Bruce Brown rounded out the bench and combined for basically nothing that mattered. That's the red flag. When your bench can't contribute and your second star isn't clicking, Jokic in superhero mode still isn't a guarantee.
The Wolves Found Their Rhythm
Minnesota's got balance that Denver couldn't match. Rudy Gobert went 7/15/4 with 3 steals and honestly, that's exactly what you want from a defender-first center. 42 Yahoo FP from a guy who's just protecting the paint is sustainable, especially when he's just supposed to space and defend.
Anthony Edwards didn't go off (only 40.6 Yahoo FP, which is -8.5 from his season average) but he didn't need to. Julius Randle was running the offense as a playmaker and rebounder more than a scorer. 14/9/7 with 7 assists? That's Randle playing team ball and it worked. Jaden McDaniels had maybe his best game at 20 points on 9-12 shooting, and then Donte DiVincenzo was a straight-up glue guy off the bench with 17 points on 5-10 with five 3s for 34 Yahoo FP.
The difference? Minnesota had four guys between 25-40 Yahoo FP. Denver had Jokic doing everything and then... a bunch of role players. That's the matchup we all need to understand.
Who You Should Be Watching
If you've got Jokic, you hold. Obviously. But here's the real fantasy takeaway: Rudy Gobert just proved that in the right matchup, his rebounds and defense are money. If you're in a league where he's sitting on waivers, grab him for the playoff run. Donte DiVincenzo is becoming a legit player in Minnesota's rotation. 35 minutes and 34 Yahoo FP with that three-ball? That's consistent enough to trust going forward.
On the Denver side, I'm actually fading Murray a little. When Jokic is doing this much work and Murray still can't get over 34 Yahoo FP, that tells me there might be better sources of scoring in the lineup. Tim Hardaway Jr. is interesting but he's still a bench piece and those are feast-or-famine.
The Real Issue
Denver's depth is cooked. When Jokic has to score 35 to lose by 9, that's a team problem, not a player problem. For fantasy purposes, Jokic is still a lock for your roster, but don't expect his teammates to bail you out every night. This is your reminder that even with an All-NBA player, you need secondary scorers to actually work for playoff success.