Nikola Jokić didn't suit up for the Denver Nuggets for a month after ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Serbian superstar hyperextended his knee on Dec. 29. Most people assumed that they'd fall in the standings, as they were already dealing with several injuries at the time, and keep in mind that was before Jonas Valančiūnas got hurt.
Well, here we are on Jan. 30, and the team is 10-6 since that dreadful Jokić news. And guess what? He will officially return to the lineup on Friday when the Nuggets host the Clippers, per ESPN. The wait is over!
Denver's Nikola Jokic – out since Dec. 29 with a knee injury – plans to return tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers at home, sources tell ESPN. Jokic now is in position to also play in Sunday's showdown vs. Oklahoma City in Denver and be eligible for the season awards. pic.twitter.com/2Y6bncli50
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 30, 2026
Denver went 10-6 without Jokić. How? Jamal Murray is averaging a career-high 25.9 points on 48.9% shooting from the field on 18.8 attempts per game. He's shooting 44.2% from three on 7.4 attempts per contest. Talk about efficiency. Then there's also Peyton Watson, who is in the midst of a breakout season and is averaging 22 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game this month. He's shooting 46.6% from three in January.
It's taken a team effort for the Nuggets, especially since the injuries haven't stopped, with Charania reporting on Wednesday that Aaron Gordon will be out for four to six weeks with a hamstring strain, but Murray and Watson have led the way.
The way Denver played the past few weeks without Jokić should make the rest of the West even more scared about facing this team in the playoffs. Again, the Nuggets still aren't close to being fully healthy yet.
Nuggets found ways to win without Nikola Jokić
Jokic's injury initially seemed like it was worse than it looked, as fans feared he'd be out for the rest of the season. Learning that he'd be out for a few weeks still felt like an eternity, even though that was the best-case scenario. The timing could've been far, far worse, but for Denver, the outlook still seemed bleak. Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson were already out.
It felt impossible to believe that the Nuggets would come out of Jokić's injury in a better position, but somehow, they did just that.
They reaffirmed the belief that they not only can go head-to-head with the Thunder, but that they truly have what it takes to make it past OKC in the playoffs. Keep in mind that last year Denver took them to seven games, and that was with a roster that didn't have the depth the team does now.
Losing Jokić for several weeks wasn't the end of the world, although it felt like it at the time. His absence is the kind of thing the Nuggets can refer back to if they are the last team standing, highlighting how that, plus the other injuries, made them stronger in the end.