Is Nikola Jokic playing tonight against the Timberwolves? Latest injury update on Nuggets' star ahead of matchup (23rd April 2023)

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets handled their business on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves last Friday. They are now in a commanding 3-0 position in the first-round matchup.

For Game 4, Nikola Jokic is available to lead the Nuggets to a potential 4-0 sweep on Minnesota's homecourt. After securing a big road win, Jokic will look to replicate or exceed his Game 3 triple-double outing of 20 points on 9-13 shooting, including 2-3 from three-point range, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.

Jokic is averaging 20.0 points on 56.8% shooting, including 50.0% from three-point range, 11.3 rebounds, and 9.0 assists in this series while being guarded by the Timverwolves' frontcourt tandem between Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Throughout the series, Jokic has looked unfazed by the "twin-tower's" defense as he is able to carve the defense with his elite shotmaking and playmaking vision.

Nikola Jokic on Nuggets' Game 3 victory

After the Game 3 road victory, Nikola Jokic spoke in post-game interviews regarding the team's mindset heading into the matchup.

"We didn't wanna give them life," Jokic said. "We wanted to be the aggressor. We wanted to punch them first. They need to react to us. That was our plan. I think we did a good job."

It was a championship-level mindset for Jokic and the Nuggets, especially with how tough it is to win road games in the playoffs.

With how the Timberwolves stormed back into Game 2 after climbing back from a deficit of as many as 21 points, the Nuggets wanted to make sure that all hope in getting one win over them would be impossible.

The Nuggets were able to hold off Anthony Edwards' electric 36-point outing with a score of 120-111. Besides the defense being able to hold on to its own by limiting the opposing home team to just 45.6% shooting, other Nuggets players, outside of the two-time MVP, stepped up and contributed.

Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points on 10-17 shooting while Jamal Murray had 18 points on 7-16 shooting. Other contributions came from Aaron Gordon's 14 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's 14 points, and Bruce Brown's 12 points coming off the bench. They proved pivotal as the Nuggets showcased their many offensive weapons on the roster.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone spoke about the mindset in closing out a playoff series.

"We know to close out a series a lot of times can be the hardest game," Malone said. "I'm hoping that we can find a way. Don't have a mindset of 'Hey, we can just go back and close it in Denver.' Our mindset should be to close it in Game 4."

One of the biggest strengths of the Denver Nuggets is their depth and how they can counter teams without over-relying on Nikola Jokic. With a chance to finish the series at 4-0, Jokic and the Nuggets must not take the Timberwolves lightly. They will look to protect their home-court and extend their playoff lives to head back to Denver.