Nikola Jokić Says Nuggets Didn't Want to Give T-Wolves 'Life' in Game 3 Win

The Denver Nuggets are doing their best to make quick work of the Minnesota Timberwolves after taking a 3-0 series lead in their Western Conference playoff series with Friday's 120-111 victory.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Nuggets star Nikola Jokić made it clear they don't want to leave any opening for the Timberwolves to get back in the series.

"We didn't wanna give them life," the two-time NBA MVP 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."

After earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history, the Nuggets are averaging 117 points per game through their first three wins.

Jokić put his best foot forward to ensure the Nuggets didn't give an inch in their first road playoff game of the series. The five-time All-Star recorded his seventh career playoff triple-double with 20 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.

Another good sign for the Nuggets going forward is they have been able to win these games without Jokić having to score a lot of points. He only scored 13 points in Game 1 and is averaging 20.0 points per game through the first three victories.

Jamal Murray had a 40-point outing in Game 2. Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting in Friday's victory.

How the trio of Jokić-Murray-Porter plays will ultimately determine how far the Nuggets go this postseason. The results thus far have been very encouraging, though Minnesota isn't a great team to test where you stack up in the Western Conference hierarchy.

But at a time when a number of superstar players are missing playoff games due to injuries, the Nuggets having their top three guys available feels like a win in itself.

Jokić and the Nuggets will look to complete their first playoff series sweep against the Timberwolves at the Target Center in Game 4 on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET.