Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić has been diagnosed with a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise, sidelining him for at least four weeks after teammate Spencer Jones stepped on his foot during Monday's game against the Miami Heat. The injury adds to the team's woes following Cam Johnson's similar right knee bone bruise and absences of Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, though Denver remains third in the West at 22-9.
Nikola Jokić, the Denver Nuggets' three-time MVP, suffered the knee injury in the first half of Monday's matchup against the Miami Heat. Having already tallied 21 points, eight assists, and five rebounds, Jokić's night ended abruptly when teammate Spencer Jones stepped on his foot.
The team announced that Jokić's knee ligaments are intact but confirmed a bone bruise, with him missing at least four weeks, per ESPN's Shams Charania. This echoes forward Cam Johnson's diagnosis earlier in the week—a right knee bone bruise from a game against the Dallas Mavericks, expected to sideline him 4-6 weeks—compounding absences for Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle). Nuggets coach David Adelman said post-game, "Immediately, he knew something was wrong." He added, "Hey, this is part of the NBA. Anybody who gets hurt in this game, it's kind of gut-wrenching, especially somebody as special as he is. We'll find out more tomorrow. We'll move on as a team. Obviously, right now, I'm more concerned just about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that."
Jokić was dominating the season, averaging the league-leading 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists to go with 29.9 points (fifth in the NBA), on 60.4% field goal shooting and 44% from three. His Christmas Day triple-double of 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves highlighted his form.
Adelman noted the uncertainty: "Tonight my mind will wander. And it'll wander about what we have to do going forward if he is out for a while or for a long time."
To fill the center role, Denver will turn to Jonas Valančiūnas and others, though matching Jokić's versatility remains a tall order amid the injury challenges.