Latest updates on injured NBA stars
Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets)
Injury: Hyperextended left knee
Status: Out since 29 December
Nikola Jokić suffered his injury on 29 December against the Miami Heat. A postponed game in Memphis may be the only thing to save the center’s MVP eligibility. With the 65-game threshold set by the NBA for players to qualify for postseason awards, Jokic can miss only three more games before falling below that number.
Denver head coach David Adelman offered a candid update on Jokić’s status before the Nuggets faced the Lakers last Tuesday (20 January).
“It’s just been a very up-and-down process,” Adelman said via DNVR Sports. “Good days, bad days.”
The coach declined to share more specifics, but his tone hinted that Denver is not expecting Jokić to return early. Jokić was considered the MVP frontrunner prior to his injury.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Injury: Right calf strain
Status: No timetable for return
Giannis Antetokounmpo re-aggravated a calf injury during Milwaukee’s 102–100 loss to Denver. He attempted to play through the discomfort until leaving the court with 34 seconds remaining.
“At the end, I could not move no more, so I had to stop playing,” he said via NBA.com.
He added that he tried to stay on the floor because of the Bucks’ position in the standings. “I don’t like to quit,” he said. “I felt like I couldn’t explode… I still felt like I could help.”
Coach Doc Rivers confirmed there is “no timetable” for his return. Milwaukee is 3–11 without Antetokounmpo this season.
Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
Injury: Sprained UCL (left elbow)
Status: Out for at least three weeks
Ja Morant injured his elbow in Wednesday’s (21 January) loss to the Hawks, the latest setback in an already turbulent season for Memphis.
The two-time All-Star has played only 20 of the team’s 43 games and has averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists amid continued trade speculation.