Last week we were deprived of a LeBron James and Nikola Jokic matchup. As LeBron was out with a groin injury. And now we’ll be deprived of Stephen Curry vs the Joker matchup. The Denver Nuggets are already struggling, and now they might have to face a red-hot Golden State Warriors squad.
What’s worse is they’ll be without their two biggest stars. Jokic and Jamal Murray have been ruled out for this match. After being listed as questionable with a right elbow contusion and a left ankle impingement, the Nuggets officially ruled him out against the Warriors owing to elbow/ankle injury.
This comes in after Head coach Mike Malone didn’t sound too confident about their chances of playing. “It’ll be confirmed soon,” he said before the game, but admitted he doesn’t think either will suit up. The exact details about his injury aren’t clear yet.
Injury Update ahead of tonight’s game against the Warriors:
AVAILABLE:
Aaron Gordon (Right Calf Injury Management/Left Ankle Sprain)
OUT:
Nikola Jokić (Right Elbow Contusion/Left Ankle Impingement)
Christian Braun (Left Foot Inflammation)
Jamal Murray (Left Knee Inflammation)… pic.twitter.com/xYL0vXBT0p
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 18, 2025
But the 7x All-Star was bruised up after a rough loss to the Thunder on 9th March. And coach Malone floated the idea of sitting him out for rematch against the OKC just a day later.
Jokic didn’t even let him finish the thought. Without hesitation, he shut it down with a defiant, “Hell, no!”. For weeks, the three-time MVP has been grinding through pain, trying to keep Denver afloat. But at some point, even the toughest players need a break. The wear and tear has become too much, and now the Nuggets have to figure out how to compete without their leader in a crucial Western Conference matchup.
This is a developing story…
The post Why Isn’t Nikola Jokic Playing? Michael Malone Confirms Nuggets Star’s Absence vs Warriors appeared first on EssentiallySports.