Denver Nuggets power forward Aaron Gordon picked up two early fouls against Minnesota on Tuesday night but still put together a strong performance in a big win. He recorded his third double-double of the 2024 playoffs with 18 points and 10 rebounds on 7-for-14 shooting while delivering five assists and collecting one steal. Gordon's high-energy efforts included multiple dunks. The 28-year-old has quietly been Denver's second-best player in the series, posting 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.4 steals with 66 percent shooting from the field.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic dominated Game 5 against Minnesota on Tuesday, finishing a 112-97 win with 40 points on 15-for-22 shooting. He went 2-for-3 from downtown and added seven rebounds, 13 assists, two steals, and one block to his tally, becoming only the second player after Chris Paul to record a playoff game with 40-plus points, 10-plus assists, and zero turnovers. This also marks Jokic's highest-scoring game of the 2024 playoffs. Jokic, who received his third MVP trophy ahead of Tuesday's contest, has looked back to his best in the last couple of games, and it spells doom for the Timberwolves, who are now 3-2 down in the series after leading 2-0.

Indiana Pacers forward/center Pascal Siakam scored a team-high 22 points on 7-for-15 shooting in Tuesday's heavy 121-81 defeat against the Knicks. After tying the series at two, Indiana struggled to cope with the occasion at Madison Square Garden, but Siakam produced a solid performance. He also led the team in rebounding with eight boards, notching two assists and one steal with 2-for-3 shooting from beyond the arc. The 2019 NBA champion has now posted 20-plus points twice in three games. Another productive performance will be expected from Siakam on Thursday as the Pacers face elimination on home court.

New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein had a historic outing in Tuesday's 121-91 win over the Pacers. He tied Charles Oakley's franchise record and became only the ninth player in NBA playoffs history to record 12-plus offensive rebounds in a game. Hartenstein added five boards on the defensive end, finishing with a big 17-rebound outing in just 31 minutes. He scored seven points on 2-for-3 shooting and recorded five assists with one block. The seven-footer has taken major steps as a playmaker in the series against Indiana, notching five-plus assists in three of the last four games. Hartenstein has done a good job this postseason as Mitchell Robinson's (ankle) replacement in the starting unit, averaging 9.6 points and 7.9 rebounds in 29.5 minutes.

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson continued to shine in the 2024 NBA Playoffs on Tuesday, leading his squad to a 121-91 victory against Indiana with a 44-point effort on 18-for-35 shooting. He became the 11th player in history to record 40 points in at least five different games of a postseason. Only five players have had more such efforts in a single year, with LeBron James and Jerry West sharing the league record with eight. Brunson's night included seven assists and four rebounds with two made triples. He has been limited to 29 percent shooting from deep by the Pacers, but the Knicks star still averages 32.0 points per game in the series.