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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) walks on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky)<\/p>\nThere was a good reason for the Ball Arena crowd to cheer three minutes into Friday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
With a short-handed Nuggets squad enjoying an early 8-5 lead over the Hawks, Nikola Jokic walked out of the tunnel without any sign of a limp before taking a seat next to Spencer Jones at the end of Denver\u2019s bench. It was his first public appearance in Denver since the three-time Most Valuable Player hyperextended his left knee, resulting in a bone bruise, against the Heat on Dec. 29 in Miami.<\/p>\n
Two hours before the walk watched by many Nuggets fans, The Denver Gazette asked Nuggets coach David Adelman about Jokic\u2019s progress and what he can do at this point. Adelman\u2019s answer wasn\u2019t exactly reason for more applause.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot much,\u201d Adelman said. \u201cIt\u2019s day-to-day with the effort-level stuff. He lifts to see where he\u2019s at. I think it\u2019s more about what he feels like the next day more than what he feels like while he\u2019s doing something, because that\u2019s the barometer. It\u2019s what you feel like after putting effort in, pushing his body a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jokic did not do any work on the main court prior to Friday\u2019s tipoff. Cam Johnson, who hyperextended his right knee and also suffered a bone bruise but no ligament damage in Dallas on Dec. 23, went through a limited shooting workout before Friday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
Not all hyperextensions are equal, though. The worst-case scenario for both players would\u2019ve been a ligament tear that would have cost them the rest of the season. It\u2019s also notable that Johnson\u2019s injury occurred when he landed after leaping for a rebound. Jokic was hardly moving when Jones inadvertently stepped on his ankle, forcing an unnatural inversion.<\/p>\n
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) walks on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky)<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of the force that is going to be transferred through the structures in the knee also comes from the ground reaction force. If you are running, if your momentum is carrying you forward as you hyperextend \u2026 there\u2019s going to be more ground-reaction force to come back up, more energy to be transferred from the joint,\u201d sports medicine doctor Brian Sutterer said in a YouTube video assessing the injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that he\u2019s basically stationary, to me, are all positive prognostic factors.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the medical imaging came back clean, the Nuggets announced Jokic would be reevaluated in four weeks. That would have him reevaluated on Jan. 27. That\u2019s where the timing gets tricky. Friday\u2019s loss was the sixth game Jokic missed. The Nuggets are 3-3 since the injury. If he misses more than 11 games, he\u2019s ineligible for Most Valuable Player or All-NBA honors. The Nuggets have 10 games between Sunday\u2019s game against the Bucks at Ball Arena and the Jan. 27 game against Detroit.<\/p>\n
The Nuggets coach didn\u2019t sound like he expected Jokic to be eligible for postseason honors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand the 65-game rule, but (for) a guy that never misses games for a decade, it bothers me a little bit,\u201d Adelman said. \u201cIt\u2019s not somebody that\u2019s sitting out. He never sits out.\u201d<\/p>\n
To Jokic\u2019s credit, he\u2019s been one of the most available superstars throughout his career. In his first 10 NBA seasons, he\u2019s played 70 or more games nine times. The exception was the 2022-23 season when a stint in the league\u2019s health and safety protocols cost him more than a week. He still played in 69 games that season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know he\u2019s antsy. He\u2019s never been hurt,\u201d Adelman said.
\u201cThe worst part is just sitting around, and that\u2019s somebody that never misses games.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bone bruise will go down as the more serious injury of Jokic\u2019s NBA career to date. Sutterer anticipated Jokic would miss closer to six weeks, which would slot him ready to return on Feb. 10, but Denver\u2019s Feb. 11 game against Memphis is the last before the All-Star break.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe might heal much faster than average and do really well and be ready to go sooner than that, but I think I would prepare for a six-week absence,\u201d Sutterer said in a follow-up video.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy prediction would be that we see him back post-All Star break. I think that would be an average, typical, good recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s not much typical about Jokic, whether it\u2019s his skill or toughness. He continued to walk without any observable signs of pain when he went to encourage teammates or chat with officials during timeouts. That\u2019s plenty of reason for Nuggets fans to cheer.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s anxious to get back,\u201d Adelman said. \u201cIt\u2019s a process for him as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
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