The Denver Nuggets got some pretty bad news on Monday night. Their three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, hurt his left knee. It happened late in the second quarter against the Miami Heat. Denver ended up losing the game 147-123, but the injury is the real story here. Jokic limped off the court at halftime and didn’t come back for the second half. This is a big concern for the team.
The Unfortunate Incident
The injury was a total accident. It happened with just about three seconds left before halftime. Jokic’s teammate, Spencer Jones, was backpedaling to defend Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. And Jones accidentally stepped on Jokic’s left foot.
This made Jokic’s knee buckle in a really awkward way. He fell right to the ground, grabbing his knee. He walked to the locker room under his own power, but you could tell he was limping a lot.
Before he left the game, Jokic was still playing great. He had already put up 21 points and eight assists. He also grabbed five rebounds. The score was actually tied at 63-63 when he went down. But without him, the Nuggets really struggled. Miami outscored Denver 84-60 in the second half.
Coach Adelman’s Reaction and What’s Next
Nuggets coach David Adelman talked about the situation. He called it “gut-wrenching.” Adelman said Jokic “immediately knew something was wrong.” He sounded really worried, not just about the injury itself, but about Jokic as a person too. “This is part of the NBA,” Adelman said, according to Yahoo Sports. “Anyone who gets hurt, it’s gut-wrenching, especially somebody as special as he is.”
The team moved fast to figure things out. They scheduled an MRI for Tuesday, December 30. Jokic was evaluated by doctors right after the game before he left the arena. Everyone’s pretty much just waiting on those results right now. Adelman said they’ll “find out more tomorrow” and hope for the best.
Nikola Jokic’s Durability and Team Impact
Jokic is known for his incredible durability. He’s played in all 32 of Denver’s games this season. And over the past five seasons, he’s only missed 36 games total. That’s really impressive for a player of his caliber. But when he does miss time, the Nuggets really feel it. They’ve gone 13-23 in games without him during those absences. This just shows how central he is to everything they do.
Teammate Jamal Murray spoke about the situation. He said Jokic is “central to the team.” But he also said everyone else is ready to step up. The Nuggets are actually already dealing with some other injuries. Regular starters Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun are apparently out right now. So this just adds to their challenges.
No Official Diagnosis Yet
As of the latest reports, there’s no official diagnosis or a timeline for Jokic’s return. The team hasn’t confirmed anything. There have been some unverified claims floating around on YouTube. Things like a torn ACL or a season-ending injury. But these claims don’t have any attribution to medical professionals or the team. So, it’s important to not believe those rumors. We’ll have to wait for the official word after the MRI. ESPN also reported on the lack of immediate diagnosis.
It’s a tough blow for the Nuggets. They’ll definitely be holding their breath until those MRI results come back. Everyone’s hoping it’s nothing too serious for their star player.
Tanya Singh 
Soureesh Datta 
Sagnik Banerjee