Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic missed Wednesday night's game against the OKC Thunder due to low back pain. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone gave an update on the injury, saying per Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, "I wouldn’t say (it’s) anything that I think is gonna be a long-term concern... That back pain was not improving, wasn’t getting any better, so it was just determined by medical staff to try to get that back right, rehab and treatment."
The Nuggets are officially listing Jokic is questionable for Friday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. This update from Malone and the official status from the team are only pieces of public information right now on Jokic's injury status, but it seems that what he is dealing with is not too serious, and should not hold him out for much longer.
Denver fought hard against OKC in the absence of Jokic, but ultimately fell short. This was a big game against two teams battling for the top spot in the Western Conference, and it was OKC who came out on top.
This upcoming game against the Trail Blazers doesn't have the same standings implications as the OKC game had, but each game is important for a Nuggets team that is trying to chase down the one-seed.
For now, Jokic is questionable vs. Portland.
More must-reads: