Troy Renck: Why are the Nuggets the Lakers' daddy? Because L.A. has no answer for Nikola Jokic -- and neither does anyone else.

DENVER — They gave us what we wanted: The Nuggets back on stage with Maury Povich and a manila envelope. In the case of the 64-year-old Los Angeles Lakers, you are the father.

Denver welcomes the Lakers back to Ball Arena on Saturday as family. Cup your ears from Trinidad to Windsor and you can still hear the “Who’s your daddy?” chant that reverberated throughout Ball Arena on Ring Night back in October.

This came mere months after the Nuggets broomed the Lakers in the Western Conference finals, exorcising a few playoff demons in the process.

It was the exclamation point in a series of wows for the Nuggets last postseason, culminating in their first NBA championship. Of course, much of the talk in the days following Denver’s sweep was about how the Lakers delivered the best performance ever by a team swept — the lamest compliment of all time — and whether or not LeBron James would retire. (Spoiler alert: He didn’t.)

So, my friends, here we are again. Everything is the same, yet different. The Nuggets enter as heavy favorites. The numbers remain striking. Denver boasts an eight-game winning streak against the Lakers. The Nuggets have outscored them by 32 points in clutch time over the last two seasons, per ESPN. When it matters most vs. Los Angeles, the Nuggets play their best.

The reason: Nikola Jokic.

The Joker would prefer we never talk about him or the likelihood he will win his third MVP award in four years. The more attention he receives, the more he defers, which is also what makes him one of the greatest passers of all time, regardless of position.

His desire to live in the shadows remains a juxtaposition to his game. He wants the moment. There is no panic. The Nuggets win late because Jokic is calmer than a lagoon and Jamal Murray has Prestone running through his veins. Jokic drained 3-point rainbow shots against the Lakers last postseason that made Anthony Davis throw his arms up in disbelief.

Jokic is not just reliable. He is inevitable. When considering why the Nuggets will win this series — I am picking Denver in five — it starts with the Joker on multiple levels.

First, who is going to slow him down? Rui Hachimura? Please. He caused a few clumsy possessions last year, but he can’t guard Jokic with help from those guys wearing bearskin hats at Buckingham Palace. If anything, he offers a diversion to prevent Davis from matching up with Jokic head-to-head on every possession.

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