By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic is dealing with a left knee bone bruise and will be reevaluated in about one week, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
With a full recovery in mind heading into the bottom end of the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season and the ensuing Playoffs, the Serbian superstar is willing to forgo his bid for the season-ending awards, including the Most Valuable Player distinction, in alignment with the Denver Nuggets, as noted by Charania.
The former NBA champion, with three season MVP awards and one Finals MVP nod already on his long list of achievements, has played 32 games so far, and thus needs to feature in 33 of the remaining 35 fixtures on the team’s schedule to remain eligible. On the verge of elimination, he will be officially out by the end of the week, specifically after remaining sidelined on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Ball Arena.
After tallying 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per contest to start his 11th year in the league with the Nuggets, the Sombor native has been on the injury report since late December. Still, the team coached by David Adelman has retained a strong presence in the Western Conference standings. However, a narrow loss, 109-107, against the Detroit Pistons in Ball Arena reduced the season tally to 31-16 on Tuesday.
From recently returning from a right calf strain and sitting out the bottom end of a back-to-back, Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas jumped in the starting lineup for a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double behind 6/10 from the field, alongside one block and one assist in 30:53 against the leaders of the Eastern Conference.
“I need to get in game shape. That’s going to take a little bit of time. But it felt good just playing basketball. That’s what I’m happy to do. So, it was great to be with the guys and play basketball,” said the 33-year-old center.
For the Pistons, Swedish Bobi Klintman stayed on the bench.
Besides providing an update on Jokic, Charania was announced as a participant in the Ruffles Celebrity Game in Los Angeles on Friday, February 13.