Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks after suffering a hyperextension of his left knee during Monday night’s game against the Miami Heat. An MRI confirmed that no ligaments were damaged, sparing Denver from a worst-case scenario and easing concerns of a season-ending injury.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported: “Just in: Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic has been diagnosed with a hyperextension in his left knee and will miss at least four weeks. An immense sigh of relief as tests show the three-time NBA MVP’s knee ligaments are intact.”
Jokić was hurt late in the first half, after teammate Spencer Jones backed into him while defending Jaime Jaquez Jr. Jokić’s left knee buckled after an awkward step, and he immediately went down clutching his knee as a layup tied the game at halftime. Although he was able to walk to the locker room on his own, Jokić was visibly limping and did not return for the second half. He was initially listed as questionable before being ruled out and finished the night with 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Nuggets head coach David Adelman said after the gam: “This is part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt, it’s gut-wrenching. Especially somebody as special as he is. We’ll find out more tomorrow, and move on as a team. I’m more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that. It’s unfortunate, and we’re hoping for the best.”
The Nuggets said Jokić will be re-evaluated in four weeks; a month-long absence would likely cost him roughly 16 to 18 games, putting the three-time MVP at risk of falling below the NBA’s 65-game minimum required for postseason awards. Jokić has played in all 32 games so far this season, but even a late-January return would leave little margin for rest or injury management.
Jokić has been one of the league’s most durable stars, appearing in at least 69 games in every season since entering the NBA in 2015–16. At age 30, he is again producing at an elite level, averaging 29.9 points while leading the league in rebounds (12.4) and assists (11.1) for a Nuggets team that sits at 22–10 and third in the Western Conference.
Denver is already dealing with multiple injuries: Aaron Gordon is sidelined with a hamstring issue, Cameron Johnson is expected to miss four to six weeks with a knee injury, and Christian Braun remains out indefinitely with a severe ankle sprain. The Nuggets are currently on the East Coast, and will now lean more heavily on Jamal Murray and the rest of the rotation on their road trip.
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