The Denver Nuggets defeated the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night behind a historic performance from Nikola Jokic. Finishing with 32 points, 16 assists, 16 rebounds, and 4 steals, Jokic became the first player in NBA history to post this line or better in a game.
Primarily defended by the much smaller Draymond Green, Jokic had a great battle with Golden State's defensive anchor, and shared praise for him after the game.
"He's good," Jokic said of Green. "He won a couple Defensive Player of the Year [awards]. He's a fighter, he's a warrior, he doesn't back down. He's playing physical. He's a really good defender. I think he can guard multiple positions. He's been doing that for a long time, so a really tough matchup for anybody in the league."
There is a lot of mutual respect between Green and Jokic, as the two competitors recognize how great the other is at what they do. For Jokic, that greatness is in every aspect of the game, as he is able to dominate in several different ways. While Green doesn't have the same offensive output he once did, he has been very efficient on that end this season, which goes along with his incredible defense.
While Jokic and the Nuggets got the better of Green and the Warriors in this game, there are certainly more battles to come.
More must-reads: