An MRI test gave the Nuggets the best bad news of the year.
Nikola Jokic will miss at least four weeks while recovering from a hyperextended left knee, the team announced Tuesday, but his ACL was spared in an ominous-looking injury Monday night. Testing on Tuesday revealed no ligament damage that would entail season-ending surgery.
The Nuggets were playing the Miami Heat when Jokic crumpled to the ground holding his knee at the tail end of the first half. Denver’s Spencer Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot, causing the leg to extend then buckle. The three-time MVP center limped to the locker room and didn’t return to the game, which Denver went on to lose, 147-123. It was tied at halftime.
Jokic, 30, is averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game while leading the league in rebounds (12.2) and assists (11). He’s on pace to be the first player in NBA history to finish a season shooting 60% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. He hasn’t missed a game, and until his injury, the Nuggets (22-10) had not lost consecutive games all season.
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