Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday night in a stunning 98-90 loss that broke a record for the largest comeback in NBA Game 7 playoff history. Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves demonstrated the fire and tenacity that has been their trademark all season, coming back from 15 points behind at the half to secure a decisive win. Minnesota will be moving on to face Slovenian sharpshooter Luka Dončić and a dramatically rebuilt Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Western Finals.
This is a stunning defeat for three-time MVP and current world champion Jokić and the Nuggets, who most sharps had as a lock for the NBA Finals and likely a repeat championship. Unverified rumors spread immediately following the game that the officiating crew for the game, Curtis Blair and David Guthrie, had been seen receiving large sums of what appeared to be Austro-Hungarian krone from two swarthy, mustachioed men in Hussar-styled tunics and fur caps.
Early speculation on online sites like secretsocieties.org, orderofthegoldendawn.co.uk, and nbabigballers.biz draws curious lines between the presence of these purported Austro-Hungarian agents, Nikola Jokić’s status as a Serbian national, and the mysterious Black Hand – a shadowy anarchist syndicate thought to be responsible for the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, one of the dominos that led to the eruption of World War I.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Seventh-Degree Adept in the Order of the Golden Dawn who goes by the Discord handle @dragonball_sexmagick claimed that Eastern European chapters of the Illuminati, the World Bank, and the National Basketball Association have conspired to orchestrate last night’s loss to the Timberwolves. “Eeeet goes back over eeee century,” @dragonball_sexmagick said, with a heavy affectation, “to ancient grudges between labor and capeeeetal, anarchism and the meeeestykal rites…..The Black Hand is being puneeeeshed for trying to usurp the world order! Dončić shall go to the finals!” He went on to describe, in less than accurate detail, the symbols of Freemasonry in the Denver Nuggets’ logo. When questioned about Dallas Mavericks’ point guard Luka Dončić’s role in this conspiracy, @dragonball_sexmagick’s Discord feed indicated he was playing Hearthstone and he would not respond.
Jokić scored 34 points in the loss, but was a -9 on the court. He was 2-10 from 3-point land, with 19 rebounds and 7 assists. Although productive, he appeared unusually gassed for much of the night. Whether that had to do with an undisclosed injury, wear and tear built up over this long and intense series, or the robed and masked figures seen on the broadcast chanting and gesticulating behind Wolves coach Chris Finch is yet to be determined.
The NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves starts on Wednesday at 8:30.
David Lavender
