NBA: Denver, powered by Jokic, blew out the Kings

Give him the ball, step aside, and don’t get in his way. That’s what Denver’s game sometimes looks like when Nikola Jokic is on the floor. Even his teammates know that sometimes it’s enough just to pass the ball to Nikola — no need to call a play or anything else, Jokic’s magic does all the work. Everyone else on the court is just a witness to the creation of the wizardry coming from his hands.

It all looks unbearably easy for the opponent, who simply has no way to defend him — which is why it’s unbearable for them. The Sacramento Kings felt that better than anyone tonight. It was a free basketball class from Professor for the stunned Kings, who looked like first graders next to the Serbian giant, just taking their seats in search of knowledge. Nuggets' center toyed with Sacramento (36 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists) — all in just 29 minutes — as Denver cruised to a dominant 136–105 win.

One of those who will especially remember this December night is Maxime Raynaud. The young rookie center, selected 42nd in this year’s draft, will go to bed with a massive headache. Jokic drove him absolutely crazy. This wasn’t one of those games where the Serbian national team star eases his way in — he hit the gas from the start, and when that happens, you’re in trouble. When you finish the game shooting 14-of-16 from the field, scoring from every possible position and in every possible way, the level of dominance is obvious.

Another indicator of how locked in the Serbian star was: he became the player with the most games of at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 80 percent or better. What more can you say?

If the first half was about scoring, the second was about distributing the ball. Almost every pass he sent to teammates resulted in points, and the lead kept growing — reaching 29 points (109–80) late in the third quarter. After everything he gave tonight, the Serbian giant deserved a rest in the fourth; he needs to stay fresh for the upcoming games. The Nuggets simply closed the game out, which was under their control from the first to the last second — largely thanks to Nikola.

Alongside Jokic, Jamal Murray stood out with 21 points, while Cameron Johnson added 16. In a flat Sacramento team, Russell Westbrook was the only one who showed a real desire to compete seriously with the opponent. The veteran point guard finished with 17 points and five assists, while Malik Monk added 15.