When asked about his bond and rivalry with Towns, Jokic downplayed such talk. According to Jokic, while they’re not necessarily close friends who hang out off the court, the close proximity of all their matchups over the years has fostered a healthy respect and appreciation for one another.

After the mess that was NBA All-Star Weekend — which weirdly didn’t feature the sport that it’s based around as much as you might think — real NBA basketball is finally back on the menu tonight. While it does count,