Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic appeared to suffer a knee injury just before halftime of Monday night’s game against the Miami Heat, adding to a growing list of NBA stars sidelined by injury this season.
The injury to Jokic happened with seconds remaining in the second quarter when teammate Spencer Jones stepped backward and planted on Jokic’s left foot.
The three-time MVP winner immediately dropped to the ground in obvious pain and appeared to grab his left knee. He did not return to the court in the second half of Denver’s 147-123 loss to Miami.
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“Immediately, he knew something was wrong,” Nuggets head coach David Adelman said after the game. “Hey, this is part of the NBA. Anybody who gets hurt in this game, it’s kind of gut-wrenching, especially somebody as special as he is.”
Adelman said the team will know more about the extent of the injury – and his recovery – when the MRI results come back on Tuesday.
“We’ll move on as a team. Obviously, right now, I’m more concerned just about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that.”
Jokic reportedly hyperextended his knee, and in a best-case scenario, he could miss just a few weeks. He entered Monday’s contest averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists and is already an early favorite in the MVP conversation.
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Despite not returning for the second half, Jokic put up a stellar performance with 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Jokic became the latest NBA star to be sidelined this season, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is confident that despite the optics, injuries are down this year.
“The data we have so far this season is we have the lowest number of injuries in the last three years,” Silver said this month. “I’ll stop there and say, regardless where the level of injuries stands versus prior years, of course the soft tissue injuries concern us. All injuries concern us, for that matter. The most frustrating issue right now, and the one that we have seemingly the least control over, is keeping star players on the floor.”
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams are just a few of the big names that have missed substantial time this season with injuries. Jokic is now added to that list.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Nuggets star Nikola Jokic suffers knee injury, misses entire second half in loss to Miami Heat
