Nights like Monday have apparently become too common for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.

The three-time Most Valuable Player needed just three quarters to score 40 points, dish out eight assists, grab seven rebounds, record three steals and block a shot in Denver’s 146-117 win over the Trail Blazers. He made 13 of 15 shots inside the arc, made 2 of 7 from 3-point range and was perfect on his eight free throws. In a nearly eight-minute press conference, Nuggets coach Michael Malone was not directly asked about Jokic’s performance and spent more time discussing his star’s defensive performance.

“To guard Anfernee Simons, man, you’ve got to be at the level,” Malone said. “Nikola does not get enough credit for his defense. He never does.”

It was the seventh consecutive game Jokic scored more than 25 points. Monday’s lopsided win was the first time in the stretch he was held to fewer than nine assists and eight rebounds. Denver won all seven of those games and now sits one game back of Memphis for second place in the Western Conference.

Malone also breezed past Jokic’s big game in his postgame address to the team that was shared on social media, but he did discuss his team’s 88 points in the paint, 44 assists against 10 turnovers and 29 fast-break points.

“The offensive numbers across the board were just incredible,” Malone said.

Jokic’s fingerprints were all over one of Denver’s most efficient offensive performances in franchise history and highest scoring game of the season. The Nuggets shot 66% from the field and made 78.7% of their two-point attempts.

“We didn’t shoot well from 3, but we attacked the paint. I think that’s a high-percentage shot.

Denver’s coach was also asked about the improved play of Zeke Nnaji, who finished with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Jalen Pickett, who had the best game of his career with 14 points and nine assists without a turnover, while Christian Braun earned praise for scoring 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting. Pickett, who’s playing the most meaningful minutes in the second year of his young career, acknowledged Jokic’s impact on his individual success.

“Just being able to be out there with Nikola and the great players and the starters, just being able to play off of them and get a rhythm going, just being aggressive and making plays,” Pickett said of his success.

“Playing off of Nikola, (he’s) finding me open shots and stuff like that. We see a couple of shots go down, it kind of gives you confidence to keep going.”

Portland’s leading scorers, Dalano Banton (22) and Donovan Clingan (21), both came off the bench.

There was an early sign Jokic was on his way to a special night. With the shot clock running down in the middle of the first quarter, Jokic caught an in-bounds pass in the corner, took a dribble to create the sliver of space that was left against Deandre Ayton and lofted a high-arching shot over the backboard that swished in to put the Nuggets up 13.

“It was a play that we have. I got the ball, and I saw there was was like 4, 5 point something (on the shot clock). I just needed the rhythm to throw it in the air,” Jokic said. “Like my old friend Mike Miller said ‘Just shoot it and let it fly.’ Enjoy the moment.”

Jokic dug deeper into his bag of tricks in the third quarter. With Ayton out of the game, Clingan picked up the assignment. The three-time Most Valuable Player caught the rookie’s hand in the cookie jar and hit a 20-foot jumper through the foul.

When Malone was reminded an efficient 40-point performance from Jokic was hardly mentioned over eight minutes, he offered

“Oh yeah, Nikola’s not bad,” Malone said, walking off after another Jokic masterpiece.

NUGGETS 146, TRAIL BLAZERS 117

What happened: Denver was up by 11 after the fist quarter and led 70-55 at halftime. The lead grew to 20 after three quarters, and the Nuggets cruised to their seventh consecutive win.

What went right: The Nuggets made their first 11 shots from the field and scored 28 points in the first eight minutes before missing their first shot. Jokic scored 12 of those points, while Christian Braun added six.

What went wrong: Jamal Murray took the bait a minute into the fourth quarter. Murray and a couple of Trail Blazers were engaged in some trash talk after one of Murray’s three-point plays. The conversation continued after Murray made the free throw, and Portland’s Dalano Banton and Murray were each assessed technical fouls. It was Murray’s second technical, and he was ejected, finishing with 17 points and eight assists.

Highlight of the night: A handful of minutes after Murray was assessed his first technical foul for voicing his displeasure with the officiating, he had one of the more improbable three-point plays of the season in the third quarter. After absorbing a bump and grab from Toumani Camara, Murray rotated 360 degrees a flipped a finger roll up and in. His free throw put Denver up 16 points.

Up next: Portland stays in town for Wednesday’s rematch, which is also Denver’s final game before the All-Star break.