In Thursday night’s matchup, the Denver Nuggets secured a 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

Impressively, four out of five Nuggets starters recorded 20 or more points, with Aaron Gordon leading the charge with an impressive stat line of 29 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, and one steal, shooting 12 for 18 from the field.

Following the game, Gordon engaged with the media, and one of his remarks regarding Nikola Jokic quickly gained widespread attention.

Gordon on Jokic: “Joker’s a basketball genius. I mean, he’s just a genius and happens to play basketball. He makes the game very easy. When you think the game like that, the game unlocks. You can start seeing plays ahead, two, three steps ahead.”

Jokic wrapped up his performance with 24 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, and one steal, shooting 9 for 13 from the field and missing his sole attempt from beyond the arc in a total of 39 minutes of play.

Widely regarded as one of the top players in the NBA, Jokic stands a strong chance of securing his third MVP Award.

Gordon and Jokic have been teammates for four seasons now.

Their collaboration proved instrumental last year when they clinched victory over the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals and subsequently secured the 2023 NBA Championship, triumphing over Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.

The Nuggets have a 3-0 lead in the series, and Game 4 will be on Saturday evening (also in Los Angeles).

Whoever advances will face off against either the Phoenix Suns or the Minneosta Timberwolves in the second round.