Jokic Injury Leaves Nuggets At Risk As MRI Pending And Left Knee Concern

Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic left a 147-123 defeat against the Miami Heat after suffering a non-contact left knee injury, raising major concern for the three-time MVP and defending champions. Jokic exited

before half-time and did not return, with Denver confirming plans for an MRI on 31 December to assess the damage.

The potential loss of Jokic comes while Denver already manages injuries to starters Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson, putting further pressure on the roster. Jokic has dominated this decade’s league conversation, finishing first or second in MVP voting in each of the past five seasons.

Jokic has been posting historic numbers this season, averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists while shooting above 60% from the field. Denver strengthened depth during the offseason, and Jokic has helped keep the Nuggets competitive in the Western Conference standings, yet there is no realistic replacement for the seven-time All-Star.

The injury happened in the final moments of the first half. Jokic stepped awkwardly while defending under the basket, then collapsed in clear discomfort while clutching the front of the left knee. Medical staff helped Jokic off the court and into the locker room, and early in the third quarter Denver ruled Jokic out.

Before leaving, Jokic recorded 21 points, five rebounds and eight assists in 19 minutes, continuing the usual all-round impact. Guard Jamal Murray tried to keep Denver competitive, finishing with 20 points and 11 assists, but the Nuggets defence never slowed Miami’s balanced scoring in the high-tempo contest.

Miami’s offence spread contributions across the roster, led by 25 points from Norman Powell, while eight Heat players reached double figures. The following table shows leading scorers from the Nuggets-Heat matchup.

Murray underlined how central Jokic is to Denver’s style. "He's not just a big part of what we do, but almost everything that we do, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. We just want to see him healthy and everybody in here is ready to step up. "

Elsewhere in the NBA, Jarrett Allen led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 113-101 victory over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, delivering 27 points and 10 rebounds. The Cavaliers, now 18-16, have struggled to match last season’s 64-win form, and Allen has faced criticism for performances against physical, rebounding bigs.

Darius Garland added 15 points and 11 assists for Cleveland, while Evan Mobley responded to a four-point night against the Houston Rockets with 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Wembanyama produced 26 points and 14 rebounds, but San Antonio dropped a second straight game after an earlier eight-game winning streak.

Nikola Jokic injury dominates night that saw Raptors stun Magic

The Toronto Raptors delivered one of the night’s most dramatic turnarounds, overturning a 21-point deficit to defeat the Orlando Magic 107-106. Orlando once led 51-30 midway through the second quarter, yet Toronto cut the gap to 11 at half-time, then restricted the Magic to only 12 points during a decisive fourth quarter.

Scottie Barnes hit two vital free throws with 1:27 remaining, which turned out to be the final points of the game after Paolo Banchero missed a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer. Jamal Shead led Toronto with 19 points from the bench, while Gradey Dick added 15 points in 15 minutes as seven Raptors scored in double figures.

Banchero still produced a standout line for Orlando, finishing with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, but could not prevent the narrow loss. As the league waits on the outcome of Jokic’s MRI, Denver’s situation and these other tight results underline how injuries and depth continue to shape the NBA season.