Jokic padding stats? Absurd, Malone says

Nuggets coach Michael Malone might find recent criticism of center Nikola Jokic laughable if he didn’t find it so far off-base.

ESPN basketball analyst Kendrick Perkins recently accused Jokic of “stat padding.”

“Maybe they’re just tired of this player — a non-athletic player from Sombor, Serbia — who continues to kick everybody’s (behind),” Malone said Thursday after Nuggets practice. “Maybe people have a hard time with that. I don’t know. He’s not doing anything to pump his own numbers up. It’s just not in his nature. It’s silly to think otherwise.”

Entering Friday night’s game against Memphis at Ball Arena, Jokic was averaging 24.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 10.0 assists per game and shooting a careerbest 63.3% from the field. He recorded the 100th triple-double of his career Tuesday in the Nuggets’ 133-112 victory at Houston. Denver is 24-0 this season when Jokic records a triple-double.

“When you’re stat padding, it’s easy, you know,” Jokic said sarcastically in a video shared on social media by Altitude after the win at Houston.

“Nikola doesn’t do anything to stat pad,” Malone said. “Nikola’s the central hub in everything we do on the offensive end of the floor. Just because he’s that skilled to be a 10-assist-per-game center, don’t hold that against him. He’s going to make the right play.

“If people want to construe that as stat-padding, well, I hope he continues to do it. Because when he gets triple-doubles we win. It’s not an empty stat.”

On Thursday, Jokic was named Western Conference

Player of the Month after also winning the award in January. He’s favored to win his third consecutive MVP award.

The Nuggets (44-19) entered Friday’s game with the best record in the Western Conference, with the Grizzlies (38-23) in second place. The two teams split the first two games of the series, with each team winning on its home court.

Preview of Friday’s late game

Memphis Grizzlies (3823, second in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (44-19, first in the Western Conference)

Denver; Friday, 8 p.m.

Bottom line

Memphis will try to build upon its three-game win streak with a victory against Denver.

The Nuggets are 31-12 in Western Conference games. Denver ranks seventh in the Western Conference with 33.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Nikola Jokic averaging 9.4.

The Grizzlies are 20-16 in conference games. Memphis has a 3-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Grizzlies won the last matchup 112-94 on Feb. 26. Ja Morant scored 23 points to help lead the Grizzlies to the victory.

Top performers

Jokic is scoring 24.6 points per game and averaging 11.7 rebounds for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray is averaging 15.9 points and 2.8 rebounds over the last 10 games for Denver.

Morant is averaging 27.1 points, six rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Grizzlies. Desmond Bane is averaging 19.4 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 51.6% over the last 10 games for Memphis.

Last 10 games

Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 117.3 points, 44.1 rebounds, 31.7 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 51.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.4 points per game.

Grizzlies: 6-4, averaging 112.5 points, 44.1 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 9.1 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 47.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.2 points.

Injuries

Nuggets: Collin Gillespie: out (leg), Zeke Nnaji: out (shoulder).

Grizzlies: Steven Adams: out (knee).