The Denver Nuggets fanbase and NBA fans across the globe held their collective breath with three seconds left in the first half of the Nuggets’ game against the Miami Heat on Monday night when three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic went down in a heap, grabbing his left knee.
On the final defensive possession of the half, Jokic was alone under the basket when Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. drove to the hoop. Jokic stepped up to help teammate Spencer Jones, who was backpedaling. Jones didn’t see Jokic and stepped on his left foot, which caused the center’s knee to hyperextend and sent him to the floor, grabbing at his left knee. Trainers came over to assist Jokic, who was able to get up on his own, but was noticeably hobbling to the locker room and grabbing onto objects to help keep him upright.
After the halftime break, the team listed him as questionable to return.
Injury Update: Nikola Jokić is questionable to return with a Left Knee Injury
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 30, 2025
At the time of his injury, Jokic had 21 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in 19 minutes. The fact that the Nuggets didn’t immediately rule him out for the game is a mild positive sign. While the injury looked severe and had many people worried about a potential ACL tear, the hyperextension could also lead to a sprain or a bone bruise, so we’ll have to await more news to know how long the Nuggets will be without their star.
Missing Jokic for any amount of time would be a brutal blow for a Denver team that is already without three other starters: Christian Braun (left ankle sprain), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain), and Cam Johnson (right knee injury). Jokic came into the game as the odds-on favorite to win another MVP, averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 11.1 assists per game this season.
We’ll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.