The Nuggets took a bit of a beating on Sunday, losing 127-103 to the first-place team in the Western Conference, the Thunder. Not only did the Nuggets lose the game, they also saw Aaron Gordon suffer a calf injury that forced him out of the game while Nikola Jokic took an ugly fall and appeared to injure his shooting elbow.
Joker stayed in the game but was clearly playing through some pain as he scored just 10 points in the final three quarters and made just four shots after falling - including some uncharacteristic missed free throws.
Aside from the loss and the injuries, Denver also watched MVP frontrunner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander light them up for 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. SGA grabbed the bull by the horns and seized firm control of the MVP race with his statement performance on national television against the number two seed in the West and his only real competitor for MVP, the reigning winner, Jokic.
Jokic will need a performance for the ages to salvage MVP hopes
It’s an extremely uphill battle now for Jokic to win his fourth MVP in five years, but if there’s any hope at all, it will likely take an iconic game on Monday night in Oklahoma City. There was some thought that Jokic may not even be able to play in the second leg of this back-to-back miniseries in OKC, but he was officially upgraded to available and will get another crack at SGA and the Thunder.
Injury Update ahead of tonight's game against the Thunder:
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 10, 2025
AVAILABLE:
Nikola Jokić (Right Elbow Contusion/Left Ankle Impingement)
Jamal Murray (Left Knee Inflammation)
Zeke Nnaji (Left Ankle Sprain)#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/fv2bSsQWCP
Jamal Murray and Zeke Nnaji were also listed as questionable but will be available to play, but Aaron Gordon will miss this game due to his calf strain. Denver also saw the Lakers pass them in the standings after their loss on Sunday, so this has become an even bigger game for multiple reasons.
The Nuggets don’t want to lose even more ground in the standings and fall back into the mix for the 4/5 seeds, and they want to show the NBA, the Thunder, and themselves that they can hang with elite teams and they’ll be heard from in the playoffs - something that is very much up in the air at the moment.
This is going to be a very difficult game for the Nuggets to win. Playing for the second straight day in a hostile road environment against the best team in the league while shorthanded is a recipe for disaster. But the Nuggets need to show up and prove they can compete for their own sake and for any last shred of hope that Jokic can pull off an MVP miracle.