When he describes it, the whole thing seems so simple.
He's playing hard, helping his team. That's all. No more.
That's the thing about Nikola Pekovic – nothing seems all that complicated. It's less about finesse and tricks than about size and strength, but that approach has been working for the Timberwolves in recent weeks.
Pekovic's effect was on display more than ever Friday night in the Timberwolves' 111-98 win over the Rockets, when the center finished the night with a career-high 30 points. With 12 rebounds on the night, he had his eighth double-double in the past 12 games, something made all the more remarkable by the fact that he'd had just one career double-double before the current streak.
It was a standout performance, but just the latest in a pattern of such high-level play. It didn't surprise Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman, nor did it shock Pekovic's teammates. Somehow, though, the Rockets seemed unprepared for the center's presence and scoring threat.
"People haven't paid attention to Pek, but he's been doing this to everybody," Adelman said.
What's surprising aren't Pekovic's numbers. It's that those numbers still weren't enough to lead his team on Friday night. Forward Kevin Love finished with 33 points and 17 rebounds, and 14 of those points came in the fourth quarter as he singlehandedly pushed the game out of Houston's reach.
Logic, mathematics, even simple physics would dictate that when a team replaces a center who's averaging 5.3 points per game with one averaging 17.1 points in the month of February (his first month of consistent playing time), someone else's scoring should suffer. It wouldn't be crazy to expect Love's numbers to decrease, however slightly, with Pekovic tipping in shot after shot. His offensive rebounding alone should dictate that. But somehow, in a strange twist of fate and chemistry, Love's scoring is as routine as ever.
"For me, I'm still going out there pursuing every ball, assuming everything's a miss," Love said on Wednesday. "And then on the offensive end, he's opening up a lot of space for me."
Love said that having Pekovic in the game creates more one-on-one matchups for him. Pekovic has opened up shots and passing lanes for Love, at times simply muscling opponents out of the forward's path. After seeing what the two are capable of in tandem yet again on Friday in Houston, Adelman agreed that Pekovic has enhanced Love's game.
"He's such a force inside that he's always in position," Adelman said. "The thing that he does is he occupies his guy because his guy cannot get off his body. Then as soon as Kevin gets the ball… he can finish at the basket because Pek's already got his guy occupied."
Both Adelman and Love have also pointed out that there's more the center-forward duo can accomplish together. The two may still be in an adjustment period, and as time passes, Love will get better at finding Pekovic at the basket. Having the center nearby as a scoring threat has made Love realize he can improve his passing game.
"Once I learn to pass the ball without turning it over so… much, I'll be able to get more assists with him in there," Love said.
Regardless of any future potential, on Friday, things clicked. The Timberwolves led for the majority of the game thanks to Pekovic's consistent scoring, and Love's fourth-quarter explosion gave the Timberwolves the final run they needed. Despite letting the Rockets back into the game in the second half, there was an element of assuredness to the Timberwolves' approach as they coasted to the victory, which gave them a win in the season series over Houston for the first time in 12 years.
"Tonight we had control from the beginning of the game," Pekovic said. "We just knew what we wanted, and we just came here to win the game."
When he talks, it seems so easy. Look at his statistics, and it's easy to assume that Pekovic finds the game easy, as well. And though he lacks a flair for the complex, Pekovic's value lies in that he knows the limits of his game and how to stay within them. He's more aware of his abilities than are most players, but that doesn't make things any simpler.
"It's not easy," Pekovic said. "I mean, maybe it looks easy, but really, it's not easy. It's very difficult."
But with Love at his side, Pekovic is doing a good job of fooling everyone.
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