Michael Malone and the Denver Nuggets played their first In-Season Tournament game against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. The Mavs came into the game undefeated on the season, but the Nuggets handed them their first loss, with the final score settling in at 125-114.

Nuggets' star center Nikola Jokic was just one assist shy of another triple-double, ending the night with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. After the game, Malone sang praises of Jokic's greatness.

“He's a great player, he's an efficient player, and what I marvel at is just the consistency,” Malone told reporters postgame. “I mean the guy is just great every night. Do you know how hard that is?”

To further prove Jokic's greatness, Michael Malone decided to poke a little fun at the Denver media and their jobs.

“Like is anyone in here great at their job every day? I know you guys. I know you're not,” Malone said with a smile on his face.

For many seasons now, Jokic's name has consistently been thrown around in the NBA MVP race. There is a reason for that, and Michael Malone hopes we are all appreciating it.

“I hope you all appreciate Nikola's consistent greatness, because not many guys can do what he does every single night,” Malone continued. “He makes it look so easy, he doesn't fight the game. … I just love how he impacts the game in every way, shape, and form.”

The Nuggets are now 1-0 in the NBA In-Season Tournament. Their next tournament matchup will be Tuesday, November 14th against the Los Angeles Clippers.