With both Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo out of action, it was known that Chris Finch would have to turn to new faces for the rest of the playoffs. Still one win away from advancing after losing Game 5, the Minnesota Timberwolves have another opportunity to dispose of their biggest rival on Thursday in Minnesota.
With the Wolves down 23 points with 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter of Game 5, Jaylen Clark checked in the game for the first time. It took just one defensive possession for the 24-year-old to showcase his impact on that end.
In the Denver Nuggets' last offensive possession of the third quarter on Monday, it looked like Jamal Murray may have had a step on Clark driving in for a layup. Instead, Jaylen got his hand on the ball and somehow saved it before it went out of bounds.
Clark was superb guarding Murray on MondayÂ
That was Clark’s first possession of this year’s playoffs. The first four games saw DNP - CD next to his name in the box score. Jaylen has often been out of the rotation since February unless his club is shorthanded (as they are now).
While much of the fourth quarter wasn’t drama-filled on Monday due to the score, the Timberwolves at least cut the final deficit to 12 points. Clark just got a one-minute breather on the bench but played the rest of the fourth.
Murray shot just 2-for-7 from the field over the last 12 minutes. Clark was credited for guarding him on four of those attempts, so, including the last play of the third quarter, he held the 2025-26 All-Star to 0-for-5 shooting.
There is a path to playing Clark in Game 6, and not just when the game is seemingly over. The Nuggets had their best offensive performance of the series in Game 5. If Murray (and the Nuggets) is going off on Thursday, Clark is there on the bench to help put the clamps on him.
Now, there are circumstances where playing Clark is not the best idea. If Game 6 is more of a slog for both teams on the offensive side of the ball, Jaylen probably wouldn’t be the best choice to help them out of their funk. Someone like Terrence Shannon Jr. would be a better option.
Unfortunately, Clark’s surprising 3-point accuracy from 2024-25 didn’t carry over this year. Still, he’s always done work on the defensive end, and depending on how Game 6 seems to be going, there could be a role for Jaylen to help close out the series.
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