Nicola Jokic is second only to Wilt Chamberlain after ‘amazing’ Pacers performance

Nikola Jokic had a career night against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, leading Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone to describe him as “an amazing, complete basketball player.”

The Nuggets saw off the Pacers 125-116 in a game that saw Jokic put up 18 points and a career-best 19 assists. He is tied for second-most in a game by any center in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain. ESPN reports that Chamberlain posted 21 assists against the Detroit Pistons in 1968.

Monday’s performance was not a one-off. Jokic has now posted at least 15 assists in a game 28 times in the NBA, the most of any non-guard in league history.

Malone paid tribute to Jokic’s mentality in the postgame: “I think the most remarkable thing is not just 19 assists, but the satisfaction and joy that Nikola gets from making his teammates better.”

“He’s a humble person and understands that this whole thing is always much bigger than the individual,” Malone continued. “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 sparks bounce-back win

Denver bounced back from a loss to the LA Lakers on Saturday, a defeat that snapped their nine-game winning streak. In the process they broke a run of three victories on the spin for the Pacers.

As Jokic’s outrageous assist tally suggests, the Nuggets dominated in the paint as the Pacers struggle to stop Denver’s inside game. The Nuggets were up 74-46 on points scored from close range.

On the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton impressed with 19 points and 15 assists but even even took the time to praise Jokic’s performance in the postgame.

“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 explained. “And I thought he did a great job in the pick-and-roll making me have to make different reads.”

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