Two-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokic returned to Denver’s lineup after missing a pair of games with hamstring tightness.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Nikola Jokic capped a 25-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist performance in his return from hamstring tightness with a go-ahead floater in the paint with 16.9 seconds left, and the Denver Nuggets escaped with a 99-98 victory over the undermanned Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Pelicans coach Willie Green said before tipoff that if Jokic returned, it would complicate his game plan.

“He’s a great player for a reason, because he makes it very difficult on coaching staffs to figure him out. He makes it difficult on teams and players,” Green said. “Guys that touch the ball that much, they’re going to have an impact on the game at some point.”

The Nuggets entered the night leading the Western Conference with a 33-14 record. They have gone 3-3 in the six games Jokic has missed, including a loss in their previous game against Oklahoma City on Sunday that snapped a nine-game winning streak.