Nikola Jokic went down with a left knee injury in the first half of the Denver Nuggets’ loss to the Miami Heat, and fans are now waiting in suspense to find out the extent of the injury.
An MRI scan will reveal how much time the Serbian superstar will miss.
The three-time NBA Most Valuable Player had another great game at the Caseya Center, displaying his typical talent with 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the first half, setting up scores with behind-the-back passes and doing whatever he wanted.
Then, with about three seconds left until halftime, a mistake by a teammate caused Jokic’s knee to buckle.
Jokic was alone under the basket and appeared to step forward to help Denver’s Spencer Jones defend a drive by Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. as time expired in the second quarter. While backtracking, Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot, and the center fell to the court and grabbed his knee.
He left the court with a limp and was unable to play at all in the second half, and the Nuggets did not immediately announce the severity of the injury.
“He knew right away that something was wrong,” Nuggets manager David Adelman said after Denver’s 147-123 loss.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights from the Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Christmas Day game where Nikola Jokic makes NBA history with a 56-point triple-double.
“Hey, this is part of the NBA. Anyone who got hurt in this game, it’s kind of heartbreaking, especially for a special guy like him.
“We’ll know more (Tuesday). We’re going to move on as a team. Obviously, right now I’m more worried about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that.”
After the injury, Jokic made his way to the locker room on his own, but was visibly limping. He underwent medical evaluation Monday night, left the arena with the Nuggets and was scheduled to fly to Toronto on Tuesday for Wednesday’s game against the Raptors.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman reacted after Nikola Jokic limped off the court during an NBA game against the Miami Heat.
If Jokic were to miss significant time, it would be a huge blow to Denver and, in some ways, the NBA as a whole, given his status as one of the game’s absolute superstars. Even a one-month absence would mean about 16 games, which could seriously impact Denver’s standing in the busy Western Conference.
“My mind wanders tonight,” Adelman said. “And if he’s out for a while or for a long time, we’re going to be at a loss as to what we have to do going forward.”
Could Jokic’s injury ruin the best season ever by a single player for NBA fans?
Jokic entered Monday’s game averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists and is on track to average a triple-double for the second straight year.
For context, that’s more points per game than Shaquille O’Neal’s best season in NBA history, more rebounds per game than Karl Malone’s best season in NBA history, and more assists per game than Jason Kidd’s best season in NBA history.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
NBA Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic’s best of the 2025 season
“He’s not only a big part of what we do, he contributes to just about everything we do,” Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “We just want to see him healthy and everyone here is ready to step up.”
The Nuggets have dealt with some major injury issues this season and were playing Monday without three potential starters: Christian Braun (left ankle sprain), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring injury) and Cam Johnson (right knee injury management). Denver has managed to survive all of this largely because of their talisman.
Jokic’s efficiency was also something to behold, as he shot 60.4 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3-point range (a career best), and 85.5 percent from free throws, well above his career averages in all categories.
With multiple stars out with injuries, his contributions have helped the Nuggets sit third in the Western Conference and put them squarely in line for a fourth MVP award, a feat that would tie him with LeBron James and one behind Michael Jordan, a feat he still has many years left in his league.
He also continues to raise the bar on a regular basis.
Just recently on Christmas Day, the seven-time NBA All-Star became the first player in NBA history to record at least 55 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a single game.
Nikola Jokic’s 56 points placed him third on the NBA’s Christmas Day scoring list behind Bernard King (60 points) and Wilt Chamberlain (59 points).
Not only that, he broke Stephen Curry’s record of 17 points in overtime set in 2016, the most by any player in the regular season or NBA playoffs.
“What he’s been doing this year is really remarkable,” Heat manager Erik Spoelstra said before Monday’s game.
Jokic has also been extremely durable throughout his NBA career, appearing in all 32 games for Denver this season. Overall, he has missed an incredible amount of games over the past five seasons, appearing in fewer than 70 games just once in his NBA career, with the exception of the 2022-23 season when he played 69 games.
Jamal Murray will be the only member of Denver’s starting five available for Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Raptors, so it’s clear his team needs to get him healthy as soon as possible.
But for fans across the league, online fans of various NBA teams and on social media platforms have been cheering for Jokic, wishing him well and hoping to see him back on the court as soon as possible and healthy.
In a few years, I don’t want to look back at his MVP candidacy and incredible numbers this year and think about what could have been.
Watch the 2025-26 NBA season live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports now and stream without a contract.
