Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone described Nikola Jokic as a "generational talent" after the Serbian produced numbers only previously seen from the great Wilt Chamberlain.

Jokic's performance in the 119-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday saw him score 40 points and make 27 rebounds, as well as recording 10 assists.

It was his fifth triple-double of the season and 81st of his career, and Malone reserved high praise for the back-to-back league MVP.

"I didn't know it was a 40-27-10 night but I knew he was having another Nikola Jokic stellar performance, efficient,'' he said. "And it's not just about Nikola. It's about his ability to make every one of his team-mates better. Yeah, Nikola is a generational talent.''

LaMelo Ball, who recently returned from injury, scored 31 for the Hornets but could not stop them from losing an eighth consecutive game, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (20 points), Aaron Gordon (19 points) and Bruce Brown (16 points) helped Jokic lead the charge for the Nuggets.

Despite his incredible showing, Jokic was able to show humility after the game and credited his team-mates for allowing him the chance to put up such numbers.

"To be honest, I think it's because of our defense and I was just in the right spot to rebound the ball,'' Jokic said of making a career-high 27 rebounds. "It's not that I was grabbing for them or whatever, chasing for them. It just happened, you know? I wish it could be every night, to be honest.''