“Pure basketball talent”: Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis praises ‘best in the world’ Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic

Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis heaped praise on Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and called him ‘the best player in the world’.

The 28-year-old was one of the star performers for the winning side as he registered 34 points including 12 rebounds and nine assists. That performance helped the Nuggets in secured a win in a nail-biting contest with a score of 102-100.

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Porzingis, after the match, was full of praise for Jokic, who according to him is the best in the world in his position.

"He [Jokic] is pure basketball talent, he's a pure basketball mastermind," he said. "He's the best player in the World. He's just so crafty, he almost makes you fall asleep — like, he's not doing anything, and then he just slides by you."

Porzingis, who was also impressive for his own team in the contest and registered 21 points including eight rebounds and two assists, expressed his desire to face Denver in the playoffs as well.

"[Denver] is a real team," he said. "This is last year's champs -- that's where we want to be. If we see them in the postseason it’s going to be a big chess match.”

Nuggets will now face Washington Wizards in the next fixture whereas Celtics will go up against Houston Rockets in their next outing.