The Denver Nuggets suffered a brutal loss against a LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers side on Wednesday night. It was Luka Doncic who led the charge for L.A. with a 31-point explosion to carry the Lakers to a lopsided 120-108 victory against Denver.
The Nuggets were significantly shorthanded against L.A. with both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray both sidelined with respective injuries. Jokic, in particular, missed his second straight game on Wednesday due to an ankle issue, and Denver has now confirmed that he is set to sit out at least one more contest.
The Nuggets revealed on Thursday, via the official injury report, that Jokic will not suit up against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. He has not been able to recover from his left ankle injury, and the fact that he’s now sitting out a third straight matchup could be a cause for concern for Denver supporters.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15).
© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Jokic’s next chance to play will be on Sunday when the Nuggets travel to Texas to face off against the Houston Rockets. It is worth noting, however, that they play again on Monday in a home game against the Chicago Bulls, and it remains to be seen if the demanding schedule will have an impact on Jokic’s status for both games.
After Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers, the Nuggets fell to 44-26. They are currently behind L.A. (43-25) for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference, with the Lakers in action on Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.