Bam Adebayo Gives Props To Nikola Jokic Amid Injury Scare

Denver Nuggets fans saw arguably the worst possible thing that could happen to the franchise earlier today in the second half of their clash against the Miami Heat. Nikola Jokic went down clutching his left knee, and did not return to the game. It didn’t look good, and even had opponents on the floor worried.

Bam Adebayo, the biggest star on the Heat roster, decided to give Jokic his flowers post-injury. The Serbian had 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Surely, he was heading towards another extraordinary night in Kaseya Center. But ultimately, it ended in a 147-123 loss for Denver.

Adebayo, in the press conference after the game, spoke about how nice it is going up against Jokic, one of the best centers the game has ever seen, and someone who hasn’t given in to the modern standard of foul-baiting.

“Its always fun playing against him. You see the greatness. One thing I like about it is its competition at the end of the day,” Adebayo said.

“He’s one of those guys that’s don’t really flop…. I’m gonna say foul bait… I truly respect that. You hate to see guys go out, but you gotta figure how you keep your team, your foot on the gas…”

For a three-time MVP, this praise was more than valid. No one likes seeing the best players go down with seemingly serious injuries. Without him and his absurd numbers, the Nuggets surely won’t be the same team.

Jokic is currently averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 11.1 assists per game. He’s an all-rounded beast, and the Nuggets will desperately be hoping that his MRI scan doesn’t show anything too grim.

Head Coach David Adelman, in his press conference, didn’t sound too optimistic about a quick return for Jokic. “Obviously, immediately he knew something was wrong… We’ll find out more tomorrow. It’s unfortunate…” he added as the injury looked to be a hyperextension of the knee. The most that can be prayed for minimal structural damage along with no ligament tear.

Denver’s loss has not affected their season too much. They are third at 23–10 and still very much in contention for the top playoff spots. However, a prolonged absence for Jokić could very well change that.