Miami– Nuggets star Nikola Jokic Went limping off the court at halftime in Denver 147-123 defeat till Miami Heat after injuring his left knee about three seconds before halftime on Monday night.
He was not on the court in the second half and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
“Right away, they knew something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Edelman said after the game. “Hey, it’s part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt in this game, it’s very sad, especially for someone that special. We’ll get more information tomorrow. We’ll move forward as a team. Obviously, right now, I’m more worried about him as an individual and it’s disappointing to have to go through something like this.”
Jokic was alone under the basket and appeared to help Denver spencer jones Drive to Miami jaime jaquez jr Since time was about to end in the second quarter. While returning, Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot and it appeared to twist the center’s knee.
Jokic fell on the court clutching his knee and groaning in pain. He was helped to his feet, then walked to the locker room under his own power. He was evaluated by doctors, and the Nuggets were working on a logistical plan to schedule an MRI during the team’s flight to Tuesday’s game against Toronto. Raptors On Wednesday.
“It’s just part of the process,” Edelman said. “You don’t get definitive answers right away after these things happen. I know he’s an extremely special player that people want updates on right away; it makes total sense to me. But we’ll get the process right for him and our team.”
The Nuggets have faced some major injury problems this season and were playing without three potential starters on Monday – Christian Braun (sprained left ankle), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) and cameron johnson ,right knee injury management,
Denver managed to overcome those injuries – largely thanks to Jokic.
“The things he’s doing this year are really remarkable,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Monday’s game.
Jokic had 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in the first half on Monday. If he misses any significant time, it would be a huge blow to Denver and in some cases the entire NBA, considering he is one of the game’s superstars.
“My mind will wander tonight,” Edelman said. “And if he’s out for a while or longer we’ll have to pivot about what to do next.”
Jokic, a three-time MVP who was certainly in the early MVP conversation this season, entered Monday averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists — on his way to averaging a triple-double for the second consecutive season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
