If a technical foul was the punishment, then so be it, Christian Braun decided. It was worth the satisfaction of the crime: a bit of hanging on the rim after a dunk, a sly finger-point at Jaden McDaniels.

Braun had played poorly in this series. Most of the Nuggets had. Any opportunity to regain some swagger in do-or-die Game 5, they happily embraced. Minnesota was handing out free dunks in the third quarter. Braun, Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown and Spencer Jones each accepted their invitations to the rim in turn. Denver cruised through its first elimination game of the NBA playoffs, a 125-113 win over the depleted Timberwolves. Game 6 is Thursday in Minneapolis.

Nikola Jokic returned to his usual puppeteering form, notching a triple-double before the fourth quarter of his 27-point, 12-rebound, 16-assist performance. Jamal Murray was inefficient but gritty on his way to 24 points. After wrestling for a loose ball and converting an and-one during one chaotic sequence, he sought out his dad in the first row of the stands for an emphatic high-five.

And Jones was the Nuggets’ unheralded hero for the evening, as young guard Julian Strawther was last year when they faced elimination at home. Aaron Gordon was sidelined by left calf tightness for the second time in three games, forcing Jones into the starting lineup. The former two-way wing tried to single-handedly corrected Denver’s 3-point shooting variance with a 4-for-5 outing from deep. He scored 20 points while also guarding Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, who became their primary scoring option with Anthony Edwards out for the series.

The Timberwolves might have almost as much of a mountain to climb as the Nuggets do if they want to advance. They arrived in Colorado with three chances to pull off a win without their starting backcourt, after Edwards hyperextended a knee and Donte DiVincenzo tore an Achilles tendon in Game 4.

They were sloppy in their first try. They committed 25 turnovers against the worst turnover-generating defense in the NBA — nine of them in the first quarter alone. Denver feasted on them in transition. With Mike Conley Jr. starting in place of Edwards, they finally had a glaring defensive weak spot on the perimeter. He had to guard someone. Cam Johnson got back into a rhythm, amassing 18 points, six boards and five assists.

Ayo Dosunmu was effective but unable to replicate his Game 4 masterpiece, totaling 18 points in 38 minutes. Randle scored efficiently but turned it over five times. Gobert finally lost his matchup to Jokic.

McDaniels picked up two fouls in the first two minutes, yanking him from the game and preventing him from ever setting a physical defensive tone as he often has in the series. Offensively, his shaky series continued with mistakes that included a clean interception to Murray, one of the Nuggets he labeled a bad defender last week.

Two more chances remain, including Game 6 at Target Center. But this was a fairly comprehensive strike one.

Until the fourth quarter. This being Nuggets-Timberwolves, the atmosphere in Ball Arena had to get a little tense, at least once, before Denver could breathe a temporary sigh of relief. Minnesota whittled a 27-point deficit all the way down to 10 with four and a half minutes remaining.

Before those intrusive thoughts about 2024 Game 7 could linger for too long, Braun knocked down a corner 3-pointer, Jones poked the ball away from Randle, and Murray flushed yet another transition dunk with 3:55 to go. Order was restored.

The Nuggets shook up their rotation with their backs to the wall. Jonas Valanciunas rejoined the action at backup center, mucking things up. Tyus Jones was an innings eater at point guard, providing 13 minutes. Strawther chipped in with a second-quarter stint.

The Nuggets have won their last three elimination games on home turf. They’re the most recent team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA.

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