Nikola Jokic injury: Superstar out 1 month at least after hyperextended knee in accident with teammate

Update: Nikola Jokic suffered a hyperextended knee against the Miami Heat on Monday night, and is expected to miss at least one month. This should be considered great news for Nuggets fans who were fretting a worst case scenario after the play.

This injury will likely end Jokic’s chances at a fourth MVP award due to the NBA’s 65-game minimum rule.

Here’s a statement from the Nuggets:

Nikola Jokic feels like the frontrunner to win his fourth NBA MVP award after his Christmas day masterpiece against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets center has been one of the NBA’s most durable superstars since he rise to prominence, but on Monday he suffered a scary injury against the Miami Heat after an unfortunate run-in with a teammate.

Nuggets wing Spencer Jones accidentally stepped on Jokic’s leg while defending a drive at the end of the second quarter, and the Serbian star fell to the ground in pain. Jokic limped to the locker room with the help of trainers, and has been ruled out for the remainder of the night. Watch the play here:

Here’s another look at Jokic’s injury and his exit from the floor:

Jokic has only played fewer than 70 games once in his career, back in the 2022-23 season. He hasn’t had a major injury yet in his career, and here’s hoping this won’t be his first.

Jokic will undergo full medical testing on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury:

Watch the full postgame comments from Nuggets coach David Adelman here:

We’ll update this story as it develops.