Jokic says Nuggets far from contending, but he wants to stay in Denver

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic said he wants to stay with the franchise. Photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA

May 1 (UPI) -- Nikola Jokic said his team is far from contending for an NBA championship, but he wants to remain with the Denver Nuggets "forever."

Jokic made his comments after the Nuggets' 110-98 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of their first round series Thursday in Minneapolis.

With the victory, the Timberwolves won the series 4-2 and eliminated the Nuggets from the playoffs in the first round for just the second time of Jokic's tenure with the franchise.

"We just lost in the first round," Jokic said. "So, I think we are far away [from contending for a title]."

Jokic, an NBA MVP finalist, totaled 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. He also made just 1 of 5 attempts from 3-point range and registered four turnovers.

The Serbian said the Timberwolves were "better in every aspect of the game." He credited the Minnesota's ball security and offense rebounding as keys to its performance.

The sixth-seeded Timberwolves narrowly outshot the No. 3 Nuggets 45.7% to 45.3%. They held a 50-33 edge in rebounding. They also totaled just seven turnovers, compared to the Nuggets' 13.

"I'm disappointed," Jokic said. "I don't know what's the level of it."

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels totaled a game-high 32 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Guard Terrence Shannon Jr. totaled 24 points. Center Rudy Gobert totaled 10 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the Timberwolves.

Jokic, 31, signed a five-year, $276.1 million contract extension with the Nuggets in 2022. He is to make $59 million next season and has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28. That status has prompted questions on if Jokic will sign another extension and/or be traded. But the three-time NBA MVP said he wants to remain with the Nuggets.