Nikola Jokić averted the worst.
The Denver Nuggets celebrity was recognized with a left knee hyperextension and shall be re-evaluated in 4 weeks, the workforce introduced Tuesday.
The replace got here the morning after Jokić limped to the locker room late within the first half of Monday evening’s 147-123 loss in Miami and didn’t return.
Jokić’s knee appeared to buckle when teammate Spencer Jones stepped on his left foot within the waning seconds of the second quarter. Jokić then dropped to the court docket and writhed in ache, holding his left knee.
“We’ve got to focus on what’s in here,” Nuggets level guard Jamal Murray stated after the sport. “Clearly, he’s not only a huge a part of what we do however nearly the whole lot that we do. We simply wish to see him wholesome, and everyone’s in right here able to step up.
Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP, is averaging a team-high 29.6 factors per recreation, whereas his 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per recreation each lead the NBA.
The do-it-all middle has began all 32 video games for the Nuggets, who, at 22-10, are in third place within the Western Convention.
If he misses greater than 17 video games, Jokić, 30, could be ineligible to win MVP this season.
In Jokić’s absence, veteran Jonas Valančiūnas turns into Denver’s main middle. Valančiūnas, 33, is averaging 8.2 factors and 4.5 rebounds per recreation off the bench in his first season with the Nuggets.
