Serbian star Nikola Jokic returned to action in a statement-making fashion last night. His Denver Nuggets sent the LA Clippers packing 122-109. Jokic, who had missed 16 straight games after hyperextending his knee in Miami on December 29, finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds to show why he should never have fallen out of the MVP conversation. But the process of getting here was not as breezy as Jokic made it look.
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“I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, what I was supposed to feel, so it was a different kind of nervous,” Jokic said after the game, while noting that it was all a learning experience. The key for him was staying as sharp as he possibly could, and that is precisely what he did, at least mentally. And while Jokic did not put a lot of stock into the ‘comeback hype’ surrounding him, he did thank god for not making things worse.
When Jokic got injured, the Nuggets fans feared the worst. Although nobody wanted to see the potential MVP sidelined, the idea of an ACL tear crossed many minds. Thankfully, that was not the case.
“I mean, I didn’t know because I didn’t know what to expect, but as I said, I think whenever I do preparation during the summer, I really take pride in it, and I really think that the one from upstairs is protecting me, and he knows that I did everything how it’s supposed to be. I was just hoping that he protected me,” Jokic said during the post-game presser.
The Serbian hasn’t had an injury of this magnitude before, and sitting on the sidelines while the Nuggets pushed on without him was tough.
“You miss playing. You miss the pressure. You miss the adrenaline. Just being out there with the guys and trying to win a game … It’s a collective that I missed. This hasn’t happened for me probably in my career. So it was an interesting feeling,” the three-time MVP explained.
“I didn’t know what to expect. Whenever I do preparation during summer, that’s something I really take pride with.”
“I really think the one from upstairs is protecting me and he knows that I did everything how it’s supposed to be.”
️ Nikola Jokic on if he thought he originally… pic.twitter.com/sM1XC1yiRH
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) January 31, 2026
Jokic is back for good, and by his own admission, the knee is feeling as good as it has ever been. The only issue he might have with being back, though, is the obligatory media interactions he has to endure now that the league is entering the meaty part of the season.
