Jokic had high praise for Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg after the Nuggets' 131-130 loss on Tuesday night.
The Denver Nuggets came into Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks riding high at 21-7, but it was a 19-year-old rookie who stole the show and ended Denver's 11-game road winning streak.
Cooper Flagg put together one of his best performances of the season, and even three-time MVP Nikola Jokic couldn't help but show respect for the young star after the game.
Jokic Speaks on Flagg's Poise
When asked about Flagg after the loss, Jokic made it clear he was impressed by more than just the stat line.
"Just the poise that he played with, it doesn't feel like he's so young out there," Jokic said. "He seems like he's played meaningful games, and he was winning before. That's my opinion. He looked really mature out there."
Coming from a player who has won three MVP awards and an NBA championship, that praise carries serious weight.
Jokic finished with 29 points, seven rebounds and 14 assists, but even his strong performance wasn't enough to get the Nuggets a win.
Denver's Comeback Falls Short
The Nuggets found themselves in a 21-point hole early in the second quarter after Dallas jumped out to a 50-29 lead, but Denver fought back.
The Nuggets put together a massive third quarter where they scored 47 points and shot 9-of-11 from three, with Jokic and Jamal Murray leading the charge. Murray finished with 31 points and 14 assists.
Denver took its first lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks responded down the stretch behind Flagg and Anthony Davis.
The Nuggets had a chance to win at the buzzer when Jokic found Peyton Watson wide open in the corner, but his three-point attempt rimmed out. The loss drops Denver to 21-8 while Dallas improves to 12-19.
Flagg Continues His Hot Streak
Flagg has been playing some of his best basketball lately.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft finished with 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists while hitting a career-high four three-pointers.
His shooting from deep has been a question mark, but Flagg has been on fire since turning 19 on Sunday, going 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in his last two games.
The former Duke star is averaging 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this season, with those numbers jumping to 23.1 points per game in December.
At just 19 years old, Flagg is already showing why he was the consensus top pick, and veterans like Jokic are taking notice.