The entire NBA world is on pins and needles waiting for the results of a Nikola Jokic MRI exam.
The Nuggets superstar center, who is among the short list of MVP favorites early this season, went down in a heap Monday against the Heat at the end of the first half.
The nasty fall has everyone concerned about his knee’s health, including his coach.
“All I know is it’s just a left knee injury,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after a 147-123 loss.
“He has to go through the process of what it is. Watching it at halftime, it looked like his feet got tangled up with a teammate. And immediately, he knew something was wrong. This is part of the NBA. Anybody that gets hurt in this game, it’s gut-wrenching. Especially somebody as special as he is. We’ll find out more tomorrow.”
Jokic suffered the injury when teammate Spencer Jones stepped on his foot while both were defending a Jaime Jaquez Jr. drive to the basket with the teams tied at 62-62.
The 30-year-old was helped to his feet and then limped to the locker room.
The three-time MVP is as special as they come, having just posted the first game in NBA history with 58 points, 16 rebound, and 15 assists in a Christmas Day win over the Timberwolves.
Jokic is averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 11.1 assists per game.
“We’ll move on as a team,” Adelman said. “I’m more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that. It’s unfortunate. Hoping for the best, just like we did with Cam [Johnson] and the other starters that we’ve lost.
“You just have to stay with it as a team and a group. And honestly, you have to stay with it as a team and a group because that’s how you best support your teammates that are out. By honoring them when you play. So, we’ll move on from there. Like I said, this is part of the NBA. It sucks, but hoping for the best tomorrow.”
The Nuggets (22-10) are third in the Western Conference as they prepare for a potential run toward the NBA Finals, although those odds would take a serious hit if Jokic is lost for the season.
“Tonight my mind will wander,” Adelman said. “And it’ll wonder about what we have to do going forward if he is out for a while or for a long time.”
The Nuggets next travel to Toronto for a Wednesday night against the Raptors.