SAN FRANCISCO — The reigning MVP of the league just went to battle against someone who some call the best defender in the world. Those two players are Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic and Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green. The two faced off in a five-game series, and it was everything you'd expect it to be.

The Nuggets center averaged 31.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and a block in the series. After the Warriors captured the Game 5 victory to end the series 4-1, Green shared a hug and some smiles with Jokic on the court.

“I just told him thank you for making me better,” Green told ClutchPoints. “It's absolutely incredible to play against a guy like that. He's an incredible, incredible talent.”

Green left it all on the floor, and Jokic did the same. The war between the two stars was fierce. Elbows were thrown, accidental eye pokes occurred, bodies hit the ground, and more. It was a slugfest that Green ultimately survived thanks to his own play and the Warriors having a better team around him. In his postgame interview, Green could do nothing but respect the Joker even more than he already did.

“It's an honor and a pleasure to play against someone so talented and so skilled. Usually, when you have guys that talented and that skilled, they're a little soft,” Green said. “He's far, far from soft. He's an absolutely incredible player.”

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Meanwhile, Jokic returned the favor with high praise of Green:

While both men are extremely competitive, there's clearly a healthy respect here between these two stars.

The Warriors now move on to the second round after collecting their first series win inside the Chase Center. It's Jokic's first time being eliminated in the first round, but if his team is healthy next season, it probably won't happen again.