A sudden chill in Miami
It was the moment that brought the high-octane atmosphere at Miami’s Kaseya Center to a grinding halt. Just three seconds before the halftime siren on Monday night, Nikola Jokic—the man currently seen as the frontrunner for his fourth MVP trophy—collapsed to the floor.
What started as a routine defensive play ended in a “gut-wrenching” scene for the Denver Nuggets. Jokic, who had been dominating the first half with 21 points, was seen clutching his left knee in obvious distress. While he eventually limped off to the locker room under his own power, the club wasted no time ruling him out for the rest of the night. Now, the focus shifts from the scoreboard to the medical clinic. Jokic is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday, December 30, to determine if this is a minor setback or a season-altering blow.
The anatomy of the accident
Looking at the replay, the injury was as accidental as they come. Jokic was under the rim, rotating to help teammate Spencer Jones defend a drive by Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. In the shuffle of feet, Jones inadvertently stepped on Jokic’s left foot while backtracking.
With his foot pinned to the floor, Jokic’s knee appeared to buckle and hyperextend. Injury experts and sports physicians watching the footage have noted that the lack of extreme “valgus” (inward) movement is a positive sign, but the MRI is the only way to be sure about the state of the ligaments. Coach David Adelman admitted after the 147-123 loss that the Serbian star “knew something was wrong” the second it happened.
Denver’s deepening injury crisis
The timing couldn’t be worse for a Denver side that is already looking a bit thin. The Nuggets arrived in Miami missing three regular starters:
- Aaron Gordon (hamstring strain)
- Christian Braun (left ankle sprain)
- Cameron Johnson (knee management)
If the Nikola Jokic injury results in a long-term absence, the Nuggets find themselves in uncharted territory. Jokic has been the league’s “iron man,” missing only 36 games over the previous five seasons combined. He had played every single minute of Denver’s 32 games this season before Monday’s incident.
Without their focal point, the Nuggets allowed a staggering 84 points in the second half alone against the Heat. It’s a stark reminder that while the team has talent, Jokic is the engine that makes the entire system run.
The “65-Game Rule” and the MVP race
For the fans following the MVP race, there is more than just team success at stake. Under the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, players must participate in at least 65 games to be eligible for major awards.
Jokic was on pace for a historic season, averaging nearly 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists per game. While he has a bit of a buffer, an absence of more than 17 games would disqualify him from the MVP conversation—a massive blow considering he was the consensus favorite to win again.
What’s next for the Nuggets?
The team is currently in a “wait and see” mode as they fly to Toronto for a Wednesday night clash. The medical staff is coordinating the MRI results around the team’s travel schedule, with an official update expected late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Jamal Murray, who will now likely take on the lions’ share of the playmaking duties, echoed the sentiment of the locker room: “We just want to see him healthy.” For now, Nuggets fans—and basketball fans in Australia and around the world—will be refreshing their feeds, hoping that the “Joker” has avoided the worst-case scenario.
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