Nikola Jokic hurt pregame, to miss Rockets game

DENVER—Nikola Jokic will miss Wednesday night’s Denver Nuggets game against the Houston Rockets with a right elbow injury, a surprise designation for the center who was listed as healthy earlier in the day.

Jokic warmed up before the game with a sleeve on his right arm, which is unusual for the three-time MVP. He also cut his standard workout short, which could be because Denver is on a back-to-back or perhaps because something was bugging him.

Jokic is averaging 30.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 9.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 55.5% from the field and 47.4% from deep. Through 34 games played in his season he’s chasing yet another MVP while the Nuggets chase down home-seeding in the West, currently at No. 4 with a 24-15 record. That makes this Rockets game all the more important since they’re just ahead of the Nuggets in the standings. Both teams are riding four-game win streaks coming into the contest, with the Nuggets winning in Dallas on Tuesday thanks to 45 points from Jamal Murray.

Jokic had been on the injury report Tuesday for an illness, as he just came back over the weekend after missing two games last week due to a sickness. Jokic tallied yet another triple-double in that game against the Mavs.

Injury Update ahead of tonight's matchup against the Rockets:

AVAILABLE:
Julian Strawther (Right Knee Strain)
Jamal Murray (Left Knee Inflammation)

OUT:
Nikola Jokić (Right Elbow Inflammation)
Aaron Gordon (Right Calf Injury Management) pic.twitter.com/dirZHQ3C8p

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 16, 2025