After the Phoenix Suns outlasted the Denver Nuggets 110-100 on Christmas Day, Suns star forward Kevin Durant made it clear how much he respects Nuggets star center Nikola Jokić.

During his post-game interview with ESPN, Durant called Jokić "arguably the best player in the world and a top-10 player of all-time."

Durant and guard Bradley Beal spearheaded the victory with 27 points apiece to help Phoenix snap a three-game skid and improve to 15-14.

Jokić led Denver with 25 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. The three-time NBA MVP is averaging a career-high 30.7 points with 12.6 rebounds and 9.4 assists while shooting 56.7 percent from the field and a career-best 50.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Despite Jokić's impressive stats, the Nuggets have struggled to find consistency this year following their 7-3 start to the season and now rank fifth in the Western Conference with a 16-12 record following their loss to the Suns.

Denver will look to bounce back on Friday when it hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers (26-4) on Friday.