The reigning MVP is back.

Nikola Jokic made his preseason debut Wednesday night and finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists in the Denver Nugget’s 118-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Jokic skipped the start of training camp for the birth of his first child, and the 26-year-old did not play in Monday’s preseason opener versus the Los Angeles Clippers either.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone was happy with Jokic’s overall performance and praised his impact on the city.

“It will be great to get him out there for the guys that haven’t played with him to kind of create that on-court chemistry,” Malone said prior to the game. “As we all know in Denver, he’s such a big part of what we do. Playing with an MVP makes everybody’s job easier. It’s really just about getting Nikola out there and getting him some game minutes, some game conditioning and playing through him and getting everybody comfortable.”

When asked about injuries in the Nuggets roster, with Michael Porter Jr. out due to a knee injury and Will Barton III sidelined for an ankle sprain, Malone showed his funny side.

“We burned some incense and sage to ward off all the evil spirits that are in this place,” Malone joked. “Hopefully, that was successful, but it’s just great to have Nikola back.”

Meanwhile, Warriors’ Jordan Poole continued to perform impressively in the absence of Klay Thompson by dropping 17 points on Wednesday after scoring 30 points against Portland.

The Nuggets are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunders next Wednesday and Thursday before the start of the regular season versus the Phoenix Suns on October 20.