He makes it look really simple but miraculous at same time – Aaron Gordon lauds Nikola Jokic after Nuggets beat Lakers in West opener

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon showered praise on his team’s talisman Nikola Jokic after they defeated Los Angeles Lakers by 132-126 at the Ball Arena on Tuesday night. Jokic played at his aggressive best against LeBron James and Anthony Davis to deliver the goods for his team.

The Serbian scored a triple-double for the Nuggets as he played in beast mode. He scored 34 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists, and two blocks to lead the Nuggets to a convincing win.

“He makes it [look] really simple,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said of Jokic taking whatever a defense gives him. “[But also] he makes it look miraculous at the same time. It’s like ridiculous.”

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone also heaped praise on Nikola Jokic for his aggressive play and getting the job done for his team. Malone added the team’s rebounding played a key role in their victory against the Lakers.

“I thought when he felt there was one-on-one coverage, facing up and getting to the basket, [Jokic used] that understated athleticism to finish in traffic. That was great to see,” Denver coach Michael Malone said.

“He’s going to continue to have to do that at a high level. But his rebounding early on, I think there was a point in this game we were up rebounding, I think, 22-3. So we were just kind of imposing our will on the glass.”

On the other hand, Jokic admitted he had no strategy against Anthony Davis and he tried to keep things simple. The ploy worked wonders as Jokic scored 12 out of the first 15 shots.

Meanwhile, LeBron James feels Denver Nuggets punched them in the mouth in the opening game of the series. The second of the Western Conference finals will be played on Thursday night.