Nikola Jokic had another historic effort to lead the Denver Nuggets to victory, and after the game, he praised their ability to overcome a 22-point deficit.

He used a Serbian word that has no exact English counterpart, but it indicates stubbornness, defiance, or determination, especially in the face of adversity.

“When you’re losing by 20 points, it’s a source of pride. You don’t want to get blown out in front of your fans. There is a Serbian term that is difficult to translate: ‘in.’ I believe there is no translation for it. “That happened at halftime,” Jokic said following his ninth win in ten games since the All-Star break.

Do the Nuggets ever rely too heavily on offence, resulting in a lack of defensive effort?

“I’m not sure, but I feel we have a terrific defensive team. We usually have a strong defence. In close games, we rely on our defence. Simply put: it was one of those evenings. They played aggressively, ran well in transition, and we were always a step behind, even failing to communicate during the first half.”

Last but not least: dinosaurs. The video of Nikola and his family’s visit to a dinosaur park went viral, prompting the inevitable question: What is Jokic’s favourite dinosaur?

“Honestly, I forgot the dinosaur names; they are difficult to say. The big one, that eats grass,” Nikola Jokic closed the locker room interview in typical form