Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic entered Thursday second in the NBA in assists (9.9 per game), third in scoring (30.6) and third in rebounds (13.2), but he may sit out Friday night’s game at the Miami Heat.
Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, missed Denver’s 128-108 home loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday due to right elbow inflammation. The Nuggets listed him as questionable for Friday’s game, calling it a sprain on the injury report.
“We had no heads up,” coach Michael Malone said of Jokic’s condition. “It just happened and that’s going to happen at times.”
The Nuggets were also without forward Aaron Gordon (right calf) on Wednesday when they had a four-game winning streak snapped. Gordon, fifth on the Nuggets in scoring (13.4) and a 41.8 percent 3-point shooter, is also questionable to face Miami.
Miami, whose 3-3 West Coast trip included a win over the Golden State Warriors, has lost two straight but will hope to capitalize on Denver’s injuries as it returns home.
The big mystery for Miami is what happens next with six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler, who on Wednesday completed a seven-game suspension for what the Heat termed “conduct detrimental to the team.”
Butler, who has asked to be traded, lost $2.3 million during his time away from the team. He is expected to return on Friday, and will reportedly meet with Heat owner Micky Arison before the game.
Since the suspension was announced, Bam Adebayo has tried to lead the Heat even more than usual.
“For me,” Adebayo said, “it’s about getting everybody on the same page and understanding that we can still win.”
Adebayo leads the club in rebounds (9.6) and steals (1.5), while Tyler Herro tops Miami in scoring (24.3) and assists (5.0).
As for Butler, Adebayo backs his teammate without blasting management.
“We understand that this is business,” the veteran center said. “J.B. (Butler) is one of my guys. We’re giving him space. We’ll let him and management handle this.”
The Nuggets are 8-4 since inserting Russell Westbrook into the starting lineup. In that span, he is averaging 15.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star at age 36, is not the player who won league MVP honors in 2017. But he still has some gas left in the proverbial tank.
Aside from Westbrook, the Nuggets will look for winning performances from Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Chandler Braun. Murray, who is deadly on the pick-and-roll, is second on the team in scoring (19.8) and third in assists (6.0).
Porter, who has stayed clear of the major back problems that plagued him in college, is averaging 18.4 points.
Braun, a strong defender who plays with non-stop intensity, is averaging a career-high 13.6 points. He has progressed since becoming Denver’s first-round pick in 2022, and he has missed just one game since the start of last season.
That trio will be especially important if Jokic and/or Gordon are unavailable.
Friday’s game will also feature two of the NBA’s top coaches: Denver’s Malone and Miami’s Erik Spoelstra. Malone, 53, led Denver to an NBA championship in 2023, beating Miami in five games. Spoelstra, 54, has guided Miami to a pair of NBA titles.
Miami is 10-7 at home this season. Denver is 12-8 on the road.
