Deandre Ayton on Nikola Jokic's Praising Him After Suns Win: 'Wow...That's Lit'

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton was particularly receptive to being complimented by Denver Nuggets star and 2020-21 NBA MVP favorite Nikola Jokic. 

After he was told Jokic praised his effort in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night, Ayton could only say, "Wow, he said that? That's lit."

"He knows what he needs to do and he's doing it at a really high level," Jokic told reporters about Ayton. "He's a real two-way player, doing it on both ends. I don't think you can ask for a better mentality from a young player."

Ayton had another efficient game offensively against the Nuggets. The 22-year-old finished with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in just over 36 minutes. It's his fifth double-double in seven postseason games. 

On the defensive end, Ayton was able to keep Jokic from dominating. The Nuggets star had 22 points on 23 shot attempts, nine rebounds and four turnovers. He only had three assists after averaging 8.3 per game during the regular season. 

Phoenix outscored Denver 65-47 in the second half to turn a one-point halftime deficit into a 122-105 win. 

Coming off their first playoff series win in 11 years by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, the Suns are three victories away from reaching the Western Conference Finals. 

Ayton and the Suns will host Denver in Game 2 on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.