The Joker is officially ready to drop down from the rafters again.
Injured Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic plans to return on Friday against the LA Clippers, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Jokic is also planning to play on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Charania adds.
The three-time NBA MVP Jokic had missed the last month of action due to a hyperextended left knee. Jokic was injured on Dec. 29 against the Miami Heat when teammate Spencer Jones fell onto his knee during a defensive possession (see the video here).
Denver has actually done surprisingly well in Jokic’s absence. Ever since his injury, the Nuggets have gone 10-6 to keep themselves afloat at third in the Western Conference with a 32-16 overall record.
Jokic was averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game before going down. He has already played in 32 games and now will still have an opportunity to just barely reach the 65-game threshold for NBA award eligibility (as the Nuggets have 34 games left in the regular season).
The problem for Denver is that they just got some brutal injury news on another key roster piece. But the impending return of the eight-time All-Star Jokic is thus a very welcome sight as the Nuggets look ahead to the final two-and-a-half months of the regular season.
