Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and coach Mike Malone miss game against Pelicans for personal reasons

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Denver Nuggets were without star center Nikola Jokic and coach Mike Malone for their NBA Cup opener Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Jokic missed the game for personal reasons. Malone stayed behind to watch daughter Bridget compete in a high school volleyball playoff match.

Nuggets lead assistant David Adelman took over for Malone and said the most difficult challenge of stepping in was that “Nikola is not here.”

Adelman said he did not know how long Jokic — who has had four consecutive triple-doubles — will be out.

“It’s personal reasons for him,” Adelman said. “It’s things at home. For somebody, that’s their business. When he feels like he’s ready to come back, he’ll come back.”

The Nuggets have not played since Sunday, when Jokic had 37 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists in a 122-120 home victory over Dallas.

Adelman said he hoped Malone would not be trying to watch the NBA game on his phone while his daughter was playing.

“He’s watching his daughter play — that’s really cool,” Adelman said. “From being a coach’s son (his father is former NBA coach Rick Adelman) and growing up around this, there’s things you miss as a dad. It’s really cool that he’s there.”

Bridget Malone is set to play at the University of North Carolina.

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