Nikola Jokic limped off the court at halftime Monday after injuring his left knee in a 147-123 loss by the Denver Nuggets to the Miami Heat. The three-time MVP will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Jokic appeared to injure the knee with three seconds remaining in the second quarter. Teammate Spencer Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot while backtracking on defense, causing the center’s knee to buckle.
Jokic collapsed to the court, grabbing his knee and writhing in pain. He was helped to his feet and walked to the locker room under his own power.
The Nuggets did not return Jokic for the second half. Denver has not released information about the injury’s severity.
“Immediately, he knew something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the game. “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,” Adelman added.
Jokic had 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds before exiting. He entered Monday averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists, tracking toward a second consecutive triple-double season.
“The things that he’s doing this year are really remarkable,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game.
Any extended absence would significantly impact Denver’s playoff positioning. Jokic has carried the Nuggets through their injury-plagued campaign this season. Jokic has finished first or second in MVP voting for five straight seasons.