Nikola Jokic limped off the court at halftime Monday after injuring his left knee in the Denver Nuggets’ 147-123 loss to the Miami Heat. The three-time MVP will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Jokic appeared to suffer a knee injury with three seconds left in the second quarter. Teammate Spencer Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot as he backed up on defense, causing the center’s knee to buckle.
Jokic collapsed on the court, clutching his knee and writhing in pain. He was helped to his feet and walked to the locker room on his own.
The Nuggets did not bring Jokic back for the second half. Denver has not released any information about the severity of the injury.
“He knew right away something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the game. “This is part of the NBA. Anyone getting hurt is heartbreaking. Especially someone as special as him.”
“We’ll find out more tomorrow and move forward as a team,” Adelman added.
Jokic had 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds before leaving. He entered Monday averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists, on his way to a second consecutive triple-double season.
“The things he’s doing this year are really remarkable,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game.
Any extended absence would have a significant impact on Denver’s playoff positioning. Jokic has helped the Nuggets through their injury-plagued season this season. Jokic has finished first or second in the MVP voting for five consecutive seasons.
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