Nikola Jokic gave the Nuggets another stellar performance, but he also gave them a big scare when he went down with an injury in their 127-120 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Danilo Gallinari knows a thing or two about tough injuries, and the veteran swingman also came up big for Denver in the win.
Pepsi Center fell silent on Thursday night when late in the fourth quarter Jokic went to the floor and stayed there writing in pain. Jokic has been one of the hottest players in the NBA in January, averaging 23.9 points and 11.1 rebounds so far this month as the Nuggets have won six of their last eight games. Postgame x-rays were negative and Jokic will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the extent of his injury, which the team called a left hip strain. Jokic scored 29 points, had 14 rebounds and eight assists in the win.
The last time Denver suffered such a frightening injury was in April 2013 when Gallinari went down with a torn ACL and missed the remainder of that season and the entirety of the next after an offseason surgery did not prove sufficient and another was required. Fortunately for the Nuggets, Jokic’s injury does not appear as severe; the team will provide an update on his condition on Friday. Gallinari scored 25 in Thursday’s win, his second-highest total of the season.
The Nuggets and Suns square off again on Saturday, this time in Phoenix. Denver ends the month at the Lakers on Tuesday. The injury bug continues to bite the Nuggets, as Denver was without Emmanuel Mudiay again on Thursday. The sophomore point guard is suffering from back pain that has caused him to miss the last three games.
