Orlando Magic Coach Jamahl Mosley on Nikola Jokić: 'He's The Best Player In The League'
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is riding a four-game win streak but face a stiff test on their path to a fifth-straight win.
Orlando (9-5) hosts the reigning NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, on Wednesday at the Amway Center at 7 p.m. ET. The clear challenge that comes with facing the Nuggets is two-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
Jokić is nearly averaging a triple-double every time he touches the court, averaging 27.4 points, 13.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game. Jokić's play has drawn the highest praise from Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley.
"He's the best player in the league," Mosley said. "Finding a way to just mix it up. That's the key. You're not going to stop him. He has the ball in his hands more possessions than anybody in the NBA. He passed it more, probably top-three, so being able to find the match where you can keep him off-balance, which is tough to do. He's that great of a player for a reason."
Nikola Jokić won the MVP in 2021 and 2022.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Denver is without its best player in the backcourt as Jamal Murray is recovering from a hamstring injury. In his absence, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson are averaging over 10 points per game, while Christian Braun is scoring 9.4 points per game.
Michael Porter Jr. has also been playing well, averaging 16.6 points per game and is shooting 37.7 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
"Those guys have stepped up big time," Mosley said of the Nuggets' backcourt. "Michael Porter Jr. is playing at a great clip right now. He's shooting the ball well. Those guys have all stepped up big time in Murray's absence, and it's what great teams do. Somebody goes down, the group behind them steps up."
For Orlando, it'll be a measuring-stick game playing against the defending champions in the second half of back-to-back games. The Magic cruised to a 126-107 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday at the Amway Center to improve to 2-1 in the In-Season Tournament.
The Magic has hung its hat on the defensive end, allowing the fourth-fewest points per game (106.6) and they have the best defensive rating in the league (106.6). Denver head coach Michael Malone noted the problems Orlando can pose for offenses on the defensive end.
"You combine how hard they play, you combine that with how long they are, they have tremendous size and length," Malone said. "When I watched them on film, I hope our players understand what we're in for tonight because this is a very impressive team...If you're going to give yourself a chance to beat a team like the Orlando Magic, you can't beat yourself."
