Nikola Jokic was playing like an MVP: 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting with six boards and six assists in 15 minutes, and the game wasn’t even at halftime yet.
Then with less than two minutes left in the second quarter, Jokic was defending Rudy Gobert on the left block, Gobert faced up and tried to drive baseline, and the knees of the two men collided. Jokic went to the ground, grabbing his knee and putting the hearts in the throats of Nuggets fans everywhere.
Nikola Jokic : 24 points on 8-9 shooting, 3-3 from 3, 5-7 from the FT line, 6 rebounds & 6 assists in 15 minutes (Bumped knees with Rudy Gobert with 1:54 left in the 2nd quarter & didn't play in the 2nd half) pic.twitter.com/lTbZ6T66AM
— Lee Harvey (@AyeThatsLee) October 27, 2021
Jokic left the game and did not return.
Nikola Jokić (right knee contusion) is questionable to return
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 27, 2021
He did come out and test the knee during halftime warmups, but the Nuggets made the wise decision — especially four games into the season — not to take any chances. Jokic sat out the second half.
After the game, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said the injury didn’t appear to be too serious.
Michael Malone said he doesn't think that Nikola Jokic's injury is "anything too too serious" but he said he decided to hold Jokic out at halftime.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) October 27, 2021
Michael Malone isn't sure yet if Nikola Jokic will need any extra testing on his knee. He said that he decided to keep Jokic out at halftime when Jokic told him his knee felt a little weak. Malone said there was no sense in risking Jokic, especially on second of back-to-back.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) October 27, 2021
Denver has been dramatically better with the reigning MVP Jokic on the court season — in his 118 minutes on the court the Nuggets are +37, in the 74 minutes he sat they are -43 — and in Tuesday’s game he scored a team-high 24 points and was a team-best +7 in his 15 minutes before being injured. They are not the same team without him, especially with starting point guard Jamal Murray out, recovering from his torn ACL.
It’s unclear how long Jokic will be out, but it doesn’t sound like too long. Denver hosts Dallas on Friday, then heads out on the road for games in Minnesota and Memphis.
