The near future appears choppy for the Nuggets, but Denver should return to full strength sooner rather than later.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokić hyperextended his left knee against the Heat on Tuesday and will miss at least four weeks, according to a Tuesday morning report from Shams Charania of ESPN. The news, as Charania noted, comes as a considerable relief to Denver amid fears that Jokić severed ligaments.
Jokić, 30, exited the Nuggets' 147–123 loss to Miami after playing just 19 minutes, during which he managed 21 points, five rebounds and eight assists. The three-time MVP and Hall of Fame lock is averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 11 assists per game this season; each of the last two figures lead the league.
Denver is currently third in the Western Conference, 5.5 games behind the first-place Thunder and a game behind the second-place Spurs.
The Nuggets are currently on an East Coast road trip that will see them play the Raptors, Cavaliers, Nets, 76ers and Celtics. A four-week absence would cost Jokić 15 games, possibly (though not certainly) rendering him ineligible to win a fourth MVP award.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Nuggets Get Mostly Positive Injury Update on Nikola Jokić.
