It’s been a while since we’ve last season Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic on a basketball court.
The three-time MVP has been sidelined since Dec. 29 with a bone bruise and hyperextended left knee, but his extended stint on the sideline is about to come to an end.
Nikola Jokic set to return to game action against Clippers on Friday night
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Jokic plans to return to game action when the Nuggets host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. It will be his first game in over a month. He’s also expected to play against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night, per Charania.
On the season, Jokic has appeared in 32 games for the Nuggets and posted averages of 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11 assists and 1.4 steals per performance.
Despite his lengthy absence, Jokic is technically still eligible for major NBA awards and honors like MVP and All-NBA, but the margin for more absences moving forward is razor thin.
Jokic has missed 16 games so far this season, so he can only miss one more game if he hopes to hit the league’s 65-games played threshold for award qualification, though doing so might not be a priority for Jokic or the Nuggets.
Unfortunately for Denver, Jokic’s return to the active lineup coincides with Aaron Gordon’s departure. Gordon is expected to be sidelined for at least a month due to a right hamstring strain.
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