Nuggets star Nikola Jokic suffers knee injury, misses entire second half in loss to Miami Heat

Denver Nuggets prima Nikola Jokic appeared to endure a genu wounded conscionable earlier halftime of Monday night’s crippled against the Miami Heat, adding to a increasing database of NBA stars sidelined by wounded this season.

The wounded to Jokic happened with seconds remaining successful the 2nd 4th erstwhile teammate Spencer Jones stepped backward and planted connected Jokic’s near foot.  

Denver Nuggets halfway Nikola Jokic (15) walks connected the tribunal during the archetypal fractional of an NBA hoops crippled against the Miami Heat successful Miami, Florida, connected Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The three-time MVP victor instantly dropped to the crushed successful evident symptom and appeared to drawback his near knee. He did not instrumentality to the tribunal successful the 2nd fractional of Denver’s 147-123 nonaccomplishment to Miami. 

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"Immediately, helium knew thing was wrong," Nuggets caput manager David Adelman said aft the game. "Hey, this is portion of the NBA. Anybody who gets wounded successful this game, it's benignant of gut-wrenching, particularly idiosyncratic arsenic peculiar arsenic helium is."

Adelman said the squad volition cognize much astir the grade of the wounded – and his betterment – erstwhile the MRI results travel backmost connected Tuesday. 

"We'll determination connected arsenic a team. Obviously, close now, I'm much acrophobic conscionable astir him arsenic a idiosyncratic and the disappointment of going done thing similar that." 

Denver Nuggets halfway Nikola Jokic (15) grabs his near genu arsenic caput manager David Adelman approaches him aft an wounded against the Miami Heat during the 2nd 4th astatine Kaseya Center successful Miami, Florida, connected Dec. 29, 2025.  (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)

Jokic reportedly hyperextended his knee, and successful a best-case scenario, helium could miss conscionable a fewer weeks. He entered Monday’s contention averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists and is already an aboriginal favourite successful the MVP conversation. 

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Despite not returning for the 2nd half, Jokic enactment up a stellar show with 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds.

Jokic became the latest NBA prima to beryllium sidelined this season, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is assured that contempt the optics, injuries are down this year.

"The information we person truthful acold this play is we person the lowest fig of injuries successful the past 3 years," Silver said this month. "I’ll halt determination and say, careless wherever the level of injuries stands versus anterior years, of people the brushed insubstantial injuries interest us. All injuries interest us, for that matter. The astir frustrating contented close now, and the 1 that we person seemingly the slightest power over, is keeping prima players connected the floor."

Denver Nuggets halfway Nikola Jokic (15) holds his genu aft an wounded against the Miami Heat during the 2nd 4th astatine Kaseya Center successful Miami, Florida, connected Dec. 29, 2025. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)

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Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams are conscionable a fewer of the large names that person missed important clip this play with injuries. Jokic is present added to that list.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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