A rough start for the Joker.
On Sunday afternoon, the Denver Nuggets hit the road to take on the Boston Celtics in a highly anticipated matchup between the last two NBA championship teams. The Nuggets were coming off an impressive road trip including a win over the Detroit Pistons in which they ended that team’s eight-game winning streak.
Nikola Jokic got off to a strong start in the game vs the Celtics but quickly dealt with an injury scare, appearing to come down with a limp immediately after the opening tipoff of the game.
Nikola Jokic is seen limping shortly after tipoff to start Nuggets-Celtics today.pic.twitter.com/xhGdz50VlG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 2, 2025
Later on, blood was seen streaming down Jokic’s arm after an inadvertent scratch from a Celtics player.
Nikola Jokic’s arm was bleeding after getting scratched 👀 pic.twitter.com/9iOCWdBT2D
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 2, 2025
All told, it was a rough opening few minutes from a health perspective for the three-time MVP. The good news for the Celtics was that Jokkic was able to stay in the game for his usual rotational stint–the entirety of the first quarter–before sitting out to open up the second, as per usual.
Denver has dealt with several injury problems this year, as Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray have both missed extended time. One underrated part of Jokic’s greatness over the years has been his ability to consistently stay on the floor, as the reigning MVP has dealt with very few injuries that have forced him to miss extended time during his career.
The Nuggets currently sit in second place in the Western Conference, just ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated them last Saturday evening in an impressive road performance.
Depth has been a concern for the Nuggets throughout this season, as the team has lost key rotational players from its championship teams over the last two offseasons. However, as long as Jokic can stay healthy, Denver will have a puncher’s chance against anyone they may come across in the postseason.