On Tuesday, Nikola Jokic showed why he has three MVP trophies sitting in his cabinet. Dropping forty points in the crucial Game 5 against the Timberwolves, most of which came against four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert, it looked like Jokic was out looking for vengeance. Maybe, he was just fed up with the disrespect he has had to endure from the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and even Lil Wayne after winning MVP over SGA. And witnessing The Joker’s dominance against Minnesota, veteran analyst Rob Parker sided with Jokic instead of Shaq and dissected the unfortunate situation Anthony Edwards’ squad is currently in.

Believing that people might have been too quick to write off Jokic after they lost the first two games at home, Parker expressed his frustrations during the Odd Couple Podcast. Bringing back former Champion Kendrick Perkins’ old statement where he accused Jokic of being a stat-padder and addressing Shaq’s comment to Jokic when he won his third MVP, Parker said, “I thought that SGA should have been the MVP.” Parker claimed that people were praying for Jokic’s downfall in these playoffs so that they could say that he’s not THAT GUY.

However, the constant criticism seems to have flipped a switch in Jokic in the last three games as his Herculean effort has helped his team come back from 0-2 down to now leading the series by one game. And Parker believes it might be over for Ant-Man and his team, “I think they’re gonna close it out and Minnesota won’t win another game.” Despite the sixth game being played in Timberwolves’ own Target Center tonight, the veteran analyst is of the opinion that Minnesota unfortunately might not have any answer for Jokic, yet again.

Can the Timberwolves live to fight another day?

Now that the Nuggets are back in a comfortable spot, just one win away from reaching their second straight Conference Finals, people cannot help but wonder what would have happened if Shaq and the rest had just given Jokic his flowers when he won MVP instead of questioning it. Would we have seen this side of Jokic where he is toying with the best defensive team in the league? Averaging thirty-three points in the last three outings after a couple of underwhelming performances in the first two games, Jokic is certainly looking unstoppable.

Even the Wolves’ head coach Chris Finch admitted to having no answer for the three-time MVP after his forty-point outburst on Tuesday. And Jokic might have found even more fuel to get himself going in tonight’s game after Lil Wayne joined the list of people to disrespect him after his performance in Game 5. Despite Jokic playing one of the best games of his career, the rapper posted a video saying, “I don’t like Jokic. I don’t like his game.” Then, doubling down on that statement, he criticized the shape Jokic was in and also gave a shout out to Gobert who gave his best effort despite having just had his first baby a few days ago, “Your little defense against Jokic and finals and playoffs don’t matter. That man just had a child, that’s what matters. Congratulate the man and give the man some respect for what he does.”

Already under a lot of pressure after losing the two-game lead and just one loss away from their season coming to an end, Anthony Edwards and Co. might not want other external factors like Lil Wayne’s comments to motivate Jokic one more time. Whatever the reason, the beast has been unleashed and it’s unfortunate that Minnesota is on the receiving end of Jokic’s beatdown. Amidst the Jokic onslaught, do you think the Timberwolves will crumble under pressure tonight or will they take this series to Game 7?