Nikola Jokic put together one of the most productive and efficient offensive performances in NBA history after scoring 35 points on 11 shots to go with 12 rebounds and 11 assists, but that was not enough to cover up the somber feeling after the Denver Nuggets 119-91 obliteration of the Phoenix Suns.
“Obviously, right now, our thoughts are with Will Barton,” Michael Malone said after the win. “He suffered a right hip injury and I have no update on that. Obviously they will do some tests in the morning to see the extent of the injury, but all of our thoughts are with Will right now.”
Will Barton went up for a reverse layup in the third quarter, but as he took off, he heard something pop in his groin or hip area. He fell to the floor and was not able to stand back up under his own power. After three minutes of analyzing Barton’s injury on the Pepsi Center floor, the Nuggets training staff had to bring out a medical cart to transport Barton back to the locker room.
“To see him carted off like that, you start to think the worst,” Malone said when explaining his thoughts when he saw Barton go down. “I am going to try to remain optimistic and hope for the best. Obviously, all of his teammates are in there giving him a lot of love which he needs.”
When Barton was asked about his injury, he knew exactly when the injury took place and explained it to the media.
“It was on the layup,” Barton said as he explained his injury after the game. “Off the jump I just felt something awkward. It was on the jump. As I was going into the air I felt it.”
Barton said that he felt something pop in his affected area. He does not know how long he could be out or the severity of the injury, but he was able to stand under his own power in the locker room and also walked out of the Pepsi Center without assistance. While there is reason to hope that his injury may not be major, Barton wants waiting for an exact diagnosis before speculating on his return.
“I don’t know,” Barton said when asked about if he has any idea what his future outlook consists of. “It is just real sore right now so I will wait to tomorrow to see. I don’t even want to predict anything and get too high or too low. Once I find out, I’ll take it from there.”
Barton will receive an MRI on Sunday morning to find out the full extent of his injury. The tests that he will get on Sunday will give a much clearer picture as to how long he could be out. Thankfully, before Barton left the locker room, he said that the pain has been subsiding over time. Again, that is a positive, but it does not mean that Barton did not sustain a major injury.
Regardless of the results of the MRI on Barton’s hip area, there is a very high likelihood that Barton misses at least a game or two. The old adage when a player gets hurt is ‘next man up’ and that next man seems to be Torrey Craig. Malone, when asked about his confidence in Craig’s ability to fill in for Barton, was emphatic that he is not worried about Craig stepping into a larger role.
“All the confidence in the world,” Malone said when asked about his confidence in Craig. “He has already done that. Torrey Craig last year, when Gary Harris was out down the stretch, played big, big minutes for us in big moments.
“I have all the confidence in Torrey. He is going to go out there and do his job. I thought he did a great job of guarding tonight. That is what he brings to the table — that defensive versatility.”
Still, if the Nuggets do lose Barton, it is going to take a toll on the Nuggets on and off the floor. Barton is the heartbeat and the emotional leader of Denver’s locker room. Seeing him get injured was a shock for every player on the roster and it will hurt the team in a multitude of ways.
“Whenever one of your brothers goes down, your heart breaks. You feel for them,” Malone said.
