Denver Nuggets fans saw their worst nightmare take place in the second half of their clash against the Miami Heat on Monday. Nikola Jokic went down clutching his left knee and did not return to the game.
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The Serbian had 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists till he limped off the floor. Surely, he was heading toward another extraordinary night in Kaseya Center. But it ended in a 147-123 loss for Denver.
Well, things did not look good when Jokic fell, and even had the opposition players worried. Perhaps why Bam Adebayo, the biggest star on the Heat roster, decided to give Jokic his flowers.
Adebayo, in the press conference after the game, spoke about how nice it is going up against Jokic, one of the best centers the game has ever seen. He added that the Nuggets star is someone who hasn’t given in to the modern trend of foul-baiting.
“It’s always fun playing against him. You see the greatness. One thing I like about it is its competition at the end of the day,” Adebayo said.
“He’s one of those guys who doesn’t really flop…. I’m gonna say foul bait… I truly respect that. You hate to see guys go out, but you gotta figure [out] how you keep your team, your foot on the gas,” he added.
Without Jokic and his absurd numbers, the Nuggets surely won’t be the same team. He is currently averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 11.1 assists per game. The Nuggets will desperately be hoping that the all-around beast’s MRI scan doesn’t show anything too grim.
Head Coach David Adelman, in his press conference, didn’t sound too optimistic about a quick return for Jokic. “Obviously, immediately he knew something was wrong… We’ll find out more tomorrow. It’s unfortunate…” he said.
The injury looked to be a hyperextension of the knee. The most that can be prayed for is minimal structural damage, along with no ligament tear.
Denver’s loss has not affected their season too much. They are third at 23-10 and still very much in contention for a top playoff spot. However, a prolonged absence for Jokić could change that.
