The Denver Nuggets are trying to capitalize on a golden opportunity to capture the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference after LeBron James went down with a groin injury for the Lakers. Now, the Nuggets must pounce quickly if they want to secure home-court advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Unfortunately, now the Nuggets are dealing with some injury problems of their own. Star center Nikola Jokic is dealing with an elbow injury and is questionable for Monday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to the NBA’s official injury report.
Jokic appeared to injure his elbow while taking a hard fall during Sunday’s loss to the Thunder on the first half of the back-to-back set. The three-time league MVP scored 14 points during a dominant first quarter before the incident occurred. He only scored 10 points the rest of the way as the Thunder took control of the game late and pulled away for a 127-103 victory.
The Nuggets are already dealing with plenty of injuries as it stands, so they definitely don’t need any ailments for their superstar. Starting point guard Jamal Murray is also questionable for the game with a knee injury, so there’s a chance Denver’s two best players could be out.
Key forward Aaron Gordon is also battling through multiple injuries and will miss Monday night’s tilt in Oklahoma City. Gordon had been playing through a left ankle sprain before his lingering right calf injury flared up, forcing him to leave Sunday’s game. This will be the third separate stint of games that Gordon has missed due to that calf, so the Nuggets’ top priority will be resting him until he is fully healthy.
The schedule isn’t doing the Nuggets any favors either. After playing on the road against the Boston Celtics just over a week ago, the Nuggets have this back-to-back against the best team in the Western Conference. Following Monday’s game, the Nuggets will play four of their next five games against Western Conference playoff contenders, including two games against the Lakers.
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