Nuggets head coach Mike Malone was full of praise for Nikola Jokic after the three-time MVP recorded a career-high 19 assists in Denver’s 125-116 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
“The guy is just an amazing, complete basketball player,” Malone told reporters, according to ESPN. “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.”
Malone added: “And he’d be happy getting 19 assists … and us winning [more] than any other superstar that I’ve ever come across.”
The performance marked Jokic’s 28th game with 15-plus assists, an NBA record for a non-guard, according to ESPN research. His 19 dimes are also tied for the second most by a center in league history behind Wilt Chamberlain, who recorded 21 in a win over the Detroit Pistons in 1968.
“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.”
Jokic also added 18 points and nine rebounds in the victory, falling just short of a league-leading 27th triple-double for the season.
Aaron Gordon led all Nuggets with 25 points in a balanced attack where six players scored 14 or more. Myles Turner piloted the Pacers with 23 points on 7-of-18 shooting, while Tyrese Haliburton chipped in with 19 and 15 assists.
In addition to Jokic’s offensive genius, Haliburton commended the big man for his play on the other end of the court.
“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.”
The Nuggets have won nine of their last 10 games. They moved into the second spot in the West with the win in Indiana, 8.5 games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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