Nikola Jokic extension on hold until offseason

Anthony Slater: Pretty gutty Game 2 win from the Timberwolves in Denver. Came from 19 down early. Responded to a Nikola Jokic surge late third quarter. Rudy Gobert was good on Gobert down the stretch. Anthony Edwards had 30 in 40 minutes on ailing knee. Series 1-1, shifts to Minnesota. — 4/21/2026 x.com

Bennett Durando: David Adelman on Nikola Jokic passing up the floater: “You always want him to shoot that shot. But he sees what he sees out there. He’s playing. And if he sees his teammate open, he’s gonna make that play. … I trust the best player in the world to make the decisions he makes.” — 4/21/2026 x.com

Bennett Durando: Nikola Jokic: “I definitely should’ve took that floater.” — 4/21/2026 x.com

Nate Duncan: Rudy Gobert on the floor: Nikola Jokic was 1-8 from the field for 4 points in 20:38 with 5 ast and 2 TOs, zero offensive rebounds. — 4/21/2026 x.com

Jorge Sierra: Nikola Jokic is one of only eight players in NBA history to finish Top 3 in the MVP vote at least six times. This is something Kobe, Shaq or Duncan didn't accomplish. He really has one of the best peaks we've seen in the league. — 4/21/2026 Bluesky

The Nuggets were up three entering the fourth. Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards called Gobert over in the huddle before the final 12 minutes. "I told him we ain't bringing no double team," Edwards said. "You gonna guard [Jokic] one-on-one. Stop fouling. Stop going for the reach-in. Because he's going to flop. They're going to call the foul. Play him straight up." — 4/21/2026 ESPN

On the same day he finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert held three-time MVP Nikola Jokic to 1-of-8 shooting in his individual Game 2 matchup. That defensive work, which included three one-on-one stops in the closing minutes, helped the Timberwolves to a 119-114 win over the Denver Nuggets to tie their first-round series at 1-1. It was the worst shooting performance in Jokic's playoff career against a single defender (minimum six shot attempts). "I was lucky," Gobert said. "A top-three defender cannot do that. So I was lucky." — 4/21/2026 ESPN

French center Rudy Gobert delivered a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in 37 minutes of play. Following the loss, Gobert compared his matchups with the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic to a battlefield: "It's just like going to war, it really is a mental game," Gobert started. "As a kid, I dreamed to be in this position, to be facing the best players in the world, just embracing this opportunity." — 4/19/2026 BasketNews

NBA Communications: The three finalists for the 2025-26 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, @okcthunder Nikola Jokić, @nuggets Victor Wembanyama, @spurs — 4/19/2026 Twitter

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Nikola Jokic extension on hold until offseason