Nikola Jokic’s eyes shone brighter than normal when the next inquiry was about basketball.

In the midst of a week of shock and sadness, the sport that Jokic is often considered to trivialize has served as a refuge and source of joy. He didn’t say much about his old coach, Dejan Milojevic, in his first interview since Milojevic ɗieɗ unexpectedly at the age of 46 last week. But when the discussion shifted to the Nuggets’ thrilling 114-109 victory over the Pacers, Jokic — a superstar renowned for his occasionally sarcastic interactions with the media – passionately assessed the game.

That may have been the most appropriate approach to honor his mentor.

The bond they had was delicate and rooted in their love of basketball.

“I don’t want to make a circus out of it,” Jokic said Tuesday, admitting that it has been a difficult week for him. “My entire family was sҺocƙed. “I love his entire family.”

Jokic’s wife and daughter joined him on the road for Denver’s victory over Washington on Sunday, where he scored a season-high 42 points on 15 of 20 shooting. It was the first time they had the opportunity to meet together since the devastating news that devastated the NBA and the international basketball community. Milojevic, the Warriors’ assistant coach, ɗieɗ the following day after suffering a Һeɑrt ɑttɑck during a team meal last Tuesday.

Jokic worked with Milojevic at the Serbian team Mega Basket before and after the Nuggets drafted him in 2014. Under Milojevic, the center won the Adriatic League MVP award.

In the years following, he has surpassed even the most optimistic predictions for an NBA second-round choice, capturing two league MVP awards and an NBA Finals MVP. Even with all of his honors, Jokic’s last three games may have been among his best and most significant.

He scored 34 points in the Nuggets’ historic victory over Boston, including a pair of clutch baskets that helped end the Celtics’ 27-game, 10-month home winning streak. In D.C., opposing fans chanted “M-V-P” and greeted him with rousing applause.

And he did it again Tuesday, recording a 31-point triple-double with a stunning 3-pointer in Indiana. The shot clock buzzer-beater came off Jokic’s blistering two-man game with Jamal Murray, giving the Nuggets a 114-109 lead with 4.7 seconds remaining. Earlier this month, Orlando blitzed Murray off Jokic’s ball screen when Denver got the final chance in a one-possession game. The play went wrong that time.

“I think we just keep evolving our reads and our counters,” Murray went on to say. “It’s just great to have a partner to play with who is so selfless. That’s the best way I can put it. He’s simply playing the game, and whatever happens, happens. Many NBA teams lack that. I consider myself fortunate to be here, to play alongside him, and to have spent my entire career playing for someone like him.

In Denver’s three consecutive road wins, the combo is averaging 64 points, 19.3 rebounds, and 15.3 assists while shooting 58.1% from the field and 43.8% from three.

“We are shooting. “It’s easier to make shots,” Jokic added. “Whoever it is. You know, me or someone else? When you make shots as a team, everyone develops confidence and wants to shoot when opportunities arise. And that’s quite difficult to guard.”

In road surroundings like Boston and Indianapolis, where two high-powered offenses thrive, Jokic’s confidence was able to transfer into championship-caliber defense. The Celtics hold the top home offensive rating in the league. They scored 100 points against Denver, their lowest total at TD Garden this season. The Pacers are close behind, with the No. 2 home offense. The Nuggets held them to 109 points, their third-lowest home total.

Indiana has the most accurate name in the NBA. However, Denver has outpaced the Pacers twice in as many weeks. Fast break points were 18-4 this time, ruining Pascal Siakam’s home debut.

“The first half was horrible. Jokic laughed as he said, “The second half was just the effort not to celebrate.” “When you score, rush back. Set up our defensive. I believe that when we set our defense, it is quite effective.”

As he spoke in the visiting locker room at Gainbridge Fieldhouse late Tuesday, four different Nuggets players had just taken out their phones to watch the conclusion of another game on NBA League Pass. It had personal implications. The Thunder avoided an upset over Portland. The night was finished, and the Western Conference standings had settled into a comfortable three-way tie at the top. Oklahoma City, Denver, and Minnesota. Jokic was almost the only player who did not watch on his phone.

“It’s too early for now. “I mean, I’d watch a game, but not the standings,” he explained.

Whether or not he cares, Denver has caught up to the other two teams, thanks in large part to Jokic’s efficient dominance over the last three road games.

As he carried the Nuggets to first place, he took on a new responsibility: to honor his teacher.

“I love him,” Jokic remarked in his brief remarks on Milojevic. Saying that was enough for an athlete who is so private and bent on keeping his feelings hidden.