Michael Malone Had to Confirm Nikola Jokic’s Unexplainable Action in Private Conversation Amid Nuggets’ Major Concern

There are things in basketball that make perfect sense—fast breaks lead to easy buckets, great defense wins championships, and LeBron James somehow still plays like he’s 25. And then there’s Nikola Jokic, who defies every single law of basketball logic.

In the Denver Nuggets’ 129-93 beat down of the Utah Jazz, Jokic pulled off yet another moment of pure absurdity. Right before halftime, he casually launched a one-handed, 62-foot floater that sailed through the air and swished in as the buzzer sounded. The crowd went nuts. His teammates lost it.

And Michael Malone? He even had to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. “I asked him after the game, I said, when it left your hands, did you think it was going in?” Malone revealed.

Jokic, with the confidence of a man who has rewritten the definition of shot selection, didn’t even hesitate.“Actually, I did.” Of course, he did. Because in Jokic’s world, every shot he takes has a chance.

Here’s where things get even crazier. Malone let slip another wild Jokic stat—if he simply stopped taking these end-of-quarter, desperation heaves, he’d be leading the NBA in three-point percentage.

“Somebody had told me a few weeks ago that if Nikola Jokic didn’t shoot those desperation heaves, he was leading the league in three-point shooting,” Malone explained. “And what you love about him is that he doesn’t care, right? He’s going to shoot the ball because he thinks they’re all going in.”

So, let’s get this straight: Jokic is willingly tanking his shooting stats just because he believes every single shot, no matter how ridiculous, has a chance? That’s not just confidence. That’s borderline basketball delusion. And yet, with him, it somehow works.

The Nuggets’ bigger concern? It’s not rest—It’s Minnesota

Now, while Jokic is out here casually breaking basketball, Malone has something much more frustrating to deal with—the Minnesota Timberwolves.

You’d think the 2023 champs would be locked in on the playoffs, but Malone is laser-focused on one thing: finally beating the Wolves.

“Well, my level of concern isn’t the rest days. My level of concern is Minnesota,” Malone admitted. “I mean, they’ve beaten us three times this year. Game one was a game that we should have won in Minnesota, and the other two games haven’t been close.”

That’s… not great. With just seven games left in the season, the Nuggets are trying to juggle keeping their stars fresh while also proving they can take down a team that’s owned them all year.

“Can we find a way to get the required rest that we all need, players, and then just find a way to compete and beat the T-Wolves? Because, you know, I’m tired of losing to them,” Malone continued. “And we have to find a way to help our guys out so we can be more competitive.”

While the Timberwolves might be a major headache, the Nuggets still have something no other team does—Jokic, the human cheat code.

Against the Jazz, he casually dropped 27 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and four steals while making ridiculous shots that defy logic. Even Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun chipped in with 20 and 16 points, respectively, but let’s be real—this team goes as far as Jokic’s wizardry takes them.

If the Nuggets can bring this kind of energy against Minnesota, Malone might finally get the win he’s been waiting for. Until then? At least he knows that when Jokic launches a half-court prayer… there’s an actual chance it’s going in.