Nuggets' Nikola Jokic tries to detail historic night: "I was merely trying to play the game"

Nikola Jokic picked apart his own superlative game like he eviscerated the Rockets’ defense.

“I was just trying to play the game,” he said after his 19-point, 18-assist, 12-rebound masterpiece. “I never go into a game (thinking) I’m gonna try to score. If it’s there … yes, I need to be more aggressive, especially in the second half.”

Be more aggressive? Minutes after Jokic set a career-high in assists, tied Fat Lever’s franchise record of 43 career triple-doubles and secured Denver’s first win of the season, 124-111, over Houston, Jokic was already nitpicking his historic night.

In 14:55 of the second half, Jokic didn’t take one shot. He did toss 11 assists, grab five rebounds, force two steals and register a team-high plus-17 as the Nuggets lived off the comfortable lead he’d built them in the first half.

But what Jokic did Monday night against the Rockets wasn’t too dissimilar to the 29-point, 15-rebound, 14-assist game he authored against the Kings on opening night. Or his performance against the Clippers on Christmas, when Jokic fell just one rebound short of another triple-double.

On the heels of last season’s historic run to the Western Conference Finals, there was concern of a hangover, of feeling that last year’s success had any bearing on this year’s campaign.

Jokic’s roaring three-game start is evidence last season’s flirt with the Finals is already behind him.

“Early in the season, we’re 0-2 going into the game tonight, and he’s taking it upon himself to do more, to bring more, to help this team more,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “When your best player … has that mentality, that sets the tone for everybody else.”

Jokic dimed up his teammates in nearly every way imaginable Monday night. He led Gary Harris to the hoop (or water) on several can’t-miss occasions; rifled the ball into the willing hands of Michael Porter Jr.; warded attention elsewhere only to drop a no-looker into Paul Millsap’s lap; lulled Houston’s defenders before whipping a crosscourt pass to Jamal Murray.

The more skilled the receiver, the less precise the pass needed to be. Jokic seemed to know each of his teammates’ needs. Harris thrives in the corner. Millsap roams free around the dunker spot. Porter … just needs the ball.

“It’s obviously unbelievable the things that he can do, the way he reads the floor and he reads defenses,” said Millsap, who scored 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting. “There’s only a certain select few people who are capable in this league of doing that.”

Two minutes into the third quarter, Jokic corralled a loose ball and took off like one of his horses. Three furious dribbles later, he hit Millsap in stride for a corner 3.

“We’re making ourselves available to be ready to catch and shoot, putting ourselves in position to be assisted,” Millsap joked.

How noble of him.

What Jokic does – probe the defense, feel the double-team, process his reads like a quarterback – is unlike any other player in the league, especially at his size. What makes him so lethal, according to Murray, is the balance he strikes between doling out assists and dominating inside.

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“He can post up everybody in the league – everybody in the league – when he wants to,” Murray said.

“It’s incredible what he can do,” Murray added. “And he’s so calm about it. … It’s a pleasure to be able to throw the ball to him and just, I’m there ready to shoot, but when he’s doing that, they can’t stop it.”

Naturally, Jokic has little explanation. He conceded if the team is in rhythm, he might see more passing lanes, anticipate cutters and interpret the game better than he normally does. But Jokic, sheepishly, can’t describe what makes him who he is.

“I just play like that,” he said. “I’m trying to find the open guy. I’m used to playing that way.”

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