Nikola Jokic Led The Denver Nuggets To A 112 97 Victory Over The Minnesota Timberwolves On Sunday Night Giving The Nuggets A 3 2 Lead In Their Western Conference Semifinal Series

Jokic scores 40, Nuggets shut down Edwards in 112-97 win over Wolves for a 3-2 series lead

Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a 112-97 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, giving the Nuggets a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.

Jokic finished with a game-high 40 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, his eighth triple-double of the playoffs. He also had four steals and three blocks.

The Nuggets were down 2-0 in the series, but they have now won three straight games. They can clinch a berth in the Western Conference finals with a win in Game 6 on Tuesday night in Denver.

The Timberwolves were led by Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 23 points and six rebounds. Anthony Edwards, who had scored 30 points or more in each of the first four games of the series, was held to just 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting.

The Nuggets defense was stifling in the second half, holding the Timberwolves to just 37 points. Edwards was held to just two points in the second half on 1-of-7 shooting.

The Nuggets also got a big boost from Aaron Gordon, who had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Gordon was 10-of-15 from the field and he also had three assists and two steals.

The Timberwolves will need to find a way to get Edwards going in Game 6 if they want to force a Game 7. Edwards is the team's leading scorer and he has been a key part of their success this season.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, will be looking to close out the series on Tuesday night. They have a chance to win their first Western Conference championship since 2009.