The Denver Nuggets, suddenly, are holding their breath and hoping for the best.
Star center and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić suffered an left knee injury Monday, Dec. 29 in a game against the Miami Heat after awkwardly hyperextending it. Jokić trudged off the court with an extreme limp and did not return in the second half.
“Immediately, he knew something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters after the game, an eventual 147-123 Heat victory. “This is part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt, it’s gut-wrenching, especially somebody as special as he is.”
Initially, the Nuggets had said Jokić was questionable to return to the game, though he was not on the floor at the start of the second half.
The injury came late in the second quarter, with just 6 seconds left to play in the period, when Jokić was defending in the paint. As he was shuffling his feet, Nuggets forward Spencer Jones was pushed backward and Jones stepped on Jokić’s left foot as Jokić was planting it, causing his left knee to buckle and hyperextend backwards.
Jokić lay on the court in apparent discomfort and grabbed at his knee. Trainers and medical staff tended to him, before he eventually got up and left the floor.
The immediate concern is a ligament injury, which would be worst case scenario and could force Jokić to miss extended time. The Nuggets will evaluate Jokić with testing and imaging Tuesday, Dec. 30 before offering a more complete update.
“We’ll find our more tomorrow and move on as a team,” Adelman said. “I’m more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that. It’s unfortunate and we’re hoping for the best. We have to stay withit to best support our teammates who are out and honor them when they play.
“It sucks, but hoping for the best.”
Jokić was playing MVP-caliber basketball this season for Denver, averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists in 31 games.
In the first half against Miami, Jokić had scored 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, with 8 assists and 5 rebounds.
With Jokić sidelined — at least momentarily — the Nuggets currently have four of their five starters injured; Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Cameron Johnson (knee) and Christian Braun (ankle) are also out.
Denver dropped to 22-10 and is currently on a seven-game road trip. The next game is Wednesday, Dec. 31 against the Toronto Raptors.