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MVP favorite could spend a few weeks on the sidelines after contact with his own teammate
Nikola Jokic was forced off the field with a left knee injury late in the first half. that of Denver 147-123 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night, leaving the Nuggets facing an anxious few hours as they wait for more clarity on the condition of their star center.
Jokic limped to the locker room at halftime after being injured seconds before the end of the break and did not return for the second half. The club confirmed he was due to undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
The incident occurred under the basket as Jokic moved to help defend a drive by Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr.. As time was about to expire in the second quarter, teammate Spencer Jones reversed course and inadvertently stepped on Jokic’s left foot, appearing to buckle the knee.
Jokic immediately fell, clutching his knee, before being helped to his feet and walking away under his own power, albeit with a noticeable limp. He was examined by arena medical staff before leaving, with Denver scheduled to travel to Toronto on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Raptors.
“Immediately he knew something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the game. “Hey, it’s part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt in this game, it’s a little heartbreaking, especially someone as special as him.
“We’ll know more tomorrow. We’ll move forward as a team. Obviously, right now I’m more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like this.”
Adelman cautioned against jumping to conclusions before medical tests are completed, emphasizing the need for patience as the process unfolds. “It’s just part of this process,” he said.
“You don’t get definitive answers right after these things happen. I know he’s an extremely special player that people want updates on immediately; that makes perfect sense to me. But we will follow the process properly, for him and for our team.”
Denver has already been through a rough patch with injuries, entering Monday’s game without three players who would normally start: Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson.
Jokic played a pivotal role in keeping the Nuggets competitive during those absences, a point acknowledged by Miami coach Erik Spoelstra before the announcement. “The things he’s doing this year,” Spoelstra said, “are really remarkable.”
Jokic had 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the first half before the injury. Any extended absence would represent a significant setback for Denver, especially in a hotly contested Western Conference, with even one month of absence equating to about 16 missed games.
Adelman admitted the uncertainty was difficult to deal with in the immediate aftermath. “Tonight my mind is going to wander,” he said. “And there will be questions about what we should do in the future if he is out for a while or for a long period of time.”
A three-time MVP, Jokic had been firmly in the early discussions for the award again this season, entering Monday averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists and heading toward a second straight triple-double campaign.
His teammate Jamal Murray emphasized how integral he was to the Nuggets. “He’s not only a big part of what we do, but almost everything we do,” Murray said. “We just want to see him healthy, and everyone here is ready to step up.”
Jokic’s durability has been one of his defining traits. Over the past five seasons, he has only missed 36 games, with Denver going 13-23 in those contests, and he had played in all 32 games for the Nuggets this season before Monday night.
