Denver Nuggets talisman Nikola Jokic scored career-best 19 assists while adding 18 points and nine rebounds and led his team to a 125-116 win against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Furthermore, Aaron Gordon scored 25 points for the Nuggets. The team’s head coach Michael Malone lauded Jokic for his match-winning performance and said the Serbian is an amazing, complete basketball player.
“The guy is just an amazing, complete basketball player,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “And I think the most remarkable thing is not just 19 assists, but the satisfaction and joy that Nikola gets from making his teammates better. And he’d be happy getting 19 assists … and us winning [more] than any other superstar that I’ve ever come across.”
Malone showered praise on Jokic for providing 19 assists and playing a key role in the team’s win after loss against the Lakers.
“He’s a humble person and understands that this whole thing is always much bigger than the individual,” Malone said. “It’s the collective. But 19? … What is that? … He’s just an incredible player. And what a luxury to have when you can just play through him down the stretch of a close game and you know something good is going to happen each and every time.”
On the other hand, Michael Porter Jr. added 19 points and 11 rebounds, Christian Braun had 17 points and Jamal Murray contributed 16 for Denver.
Meanwhile, Myles Turner led Indiana with 23 points. Tyrese Haliburton added 19 points and 15 assists, Pascal Siakam scored 19 points whereas Aaron Nesmith 17.
“Obviously, Nikola is not a guy in the league that you would say is an elite defender, but he’s one of the highest IQ guys in the league,” Haliburton said. “And I thought he did a great job in the pick-and-roll making me have to make different reads.”
Denver Nuggets will next take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
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