Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic revealed the key factor that allowed him to play much better against the Los Angeles Lakers in their second meeting of the season.

The Nuggets dispatched the reigning champions on Sunday at Pepsi Center, 122-105, snapping their seven-game winning streak in the process.

Post-match, The Joker revealed that he was more prepared for the Purple and Gold's defensive intensity this time around, something that caught his team off guard in their earlier encounter (via Mike Singer of The Denver Post).

The Lakers got the better of the Nuggets earlier this month at Staples Center. Nikola Jokic, who is having a terrific 2020-21 campaign so far, uncharacteristically struggled in that match with just 13 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

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Looking for redemption this time around, the Serbian center looked aggressive earlier on and carried that momentum until the final buzzer. Jokic finished with yet another triple-double performance of 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists while making eight of his 17 field goals in 35 minutes.

They were one step ahead of the Purple and Gold each time, thwarting Lakers superstar LeBron James' attempts to lead his team to a comeback.

Jokic received ample help from Jamal Murray who fired a game-high 25 points, while also receiving surprising production from bench players Zeke Nnaji and Facundo Campazzo who had 16 and 15 points, respectively.

The loss of superstar Anthony Davis to injury in the second quarter also clearly dampened the Lakers' spirits. Jokic took full advantage of AD's absence and destroyed LA with his interior dominance.