“Joker gave me complete hell”: Draymond Green confesses his helplessness guarding Nikola Jokic after his triple-double triumph over Warriors

Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors were handed a 119-103 home loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. Nikola Jokic went off for an astonishing triple-double with 32 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists. Green admitted that Jokic got the best of him.

Green said he could not defend the Serbian no matter what he tried. He also took the blame for the loss.

“Joker went for 32, 16 and 16. He gave me complete hell tonight,” Green said.

Jokic had complete control of the game. The Warriors had no adjustments to slow down the playmaking center.

“I have had my fair share of matchups against Joker. I have given him a little bit of hell on some nights but he gave me complete hell. I had absolutely no answers.

"I am going to laugh about it because either you laugh or you cry. I had absolutely no answers tonight. He was brilliant,” Green said.

The Warriors will try to let go of this one and bounce back for their next game against the Washington Wizards. Green said the Warriors are capable of beating the Nuggets in the playoffs despite losing all four games to Denver this season.

“It was one of those games that you just have to flush,” Green said. “That is a great team. That is why they are the defending champions. If we were to meet that team in the playoffs I think there are some adjustments we could make to win.”

Green was heavy on his praise for the opponent. The Warriors forward also complimented Jokic’s conditioning. He said it was fun playing against him, and he had respect for him. But he admitted that he struggled to keep up with Jokic running up and down the floor.

Green also described a little moment between the two. Green said Jokic accidentally threw a shoulder into Green’s face. Green retaliated with a wrap-up foul after he didn’t get the offensive foul call from the shoulder. Green said Jokic admitted to the foul but said the move was unintentional. Green acknowledged it as a moment of mutual respect for Jokic and why he is one of the players he respects in the league.

He also complimented Jokic and his running mate Jamal Murray. He called their pick-and-roll the hardest thing to defend in the NBA. He said their offensive chemistry is what gave the Nuggets the win on Sunday.

Green also gave Aaron Gordon his flowers. He said the big forward brings a unique physicality to the game that was not there in the early years of Gordon’s career.

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Nikola Jokic and Nuggets torch Draymond Green and Warriors on the road

Draymond Green finished the tough loss to the Nuggets with seven points, five rebounds and four assists. He was largely outdone by Jokic's remarkable triple-double.

The Nuggets moved their win streak to three games following the All-Star break. Jokic posted triple-doubles in all three of those wins.

The Nuggets erased a double-digit deficit early in the game to win by a comfortable margin. The Nuggets closed the first half on a 14-0 run.

Jamal Murray added 27 points in the win, while Aaron Gordon contributed 17 points.

Klay Thompson put in a good effort on the losing end with 23 points. All of which came in the first half. Steph Curry struggled on the evening, scoring 20 points. He missed his first seven 3-point attempts.

Denver has now won seven straight against the Warriors. They have won 10 of their last 11 between the two Western teams.