The Denver Nuggets left Miami with more questions than answers after Nikola Jokic exited the game on Monday, December 29, late in the first half and did not return.
Now, according to ESPN, the reigning MVP is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday, December 30, after injuring his left knee during Denver’s 147–123 loss to the Miami Heat.
The sequence unfolded in the closing seconds of the second quarter. Jokic was positioned under the basket as Denver tried to defend a final drive before halftime.
As he shifted backward, teammate Spencer Jones stepped on Jokic’s foot, causing the center’s knee to buckle.
Jokic immediately dropped to the floor, clutching his knee, and was eventually helped to the locker room. While he was able to walk under his own power, he was visibly limping and never reappeared for the second half.
Nuggets head coach David Adelman said the concern was immediate. “Immediately, he knew something was wrong,” Adelman explained after the game. “We’ll find out more tomorrow. Right now, I’m more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that.”
Before exiting, Jokic was dominant, finishing the first half with 21 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. His early stat line continued a historically productive season. Jokic was averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 11.1 assists while appearing in every game for Denver.
Teammates echoed the concern as the Nuggets prepare for a stretch of games that already includes multiple absences. Denver also played without Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Cameron Johnson.
“He’s not just a big part of what we do, but almost everything that we do,” Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “We just want to see him healthy, and everybody in here is ready to step up.”
From the opposing sideline, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had offered praise for Jokic even before tipoff, calling his season “really remarkable.”
The Nuggets were evaluated by team doctors in Miami and are scheduled to fly to Toronto ahead of the New Year’s Eve game against the Raptors.