Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic hurts left knee, limps off court at halftime in Miami

Denver star Nikola Jokic was having another brilliant game: 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the first half, with behind-the-back passes to set up scores and generally doing whatever he wanted

Denver star Nikola Jokic was having another brilliant game: 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the first half, with behind-the-back passes to set up scores and generally doing whatever he wanted.

Then came one misstep from a teammate with about three seconds left until halftime — and now, the Nuggets wait to see how bad the news might be.

Jokic limped off the court in Miami on Monday night, after appearing to hurt his left knee just before the intermission and going to the floor in obvious pain. He was not on the floor for the second half and the results of an MRI will determine what happens in the coming days and weeks.

“Immediately, he knew something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after Denver’s 147-123 loss. “Hey, this is part of the NBA. Anybody who gets hurt in this game, it’s kind of gut-wrenching, especially somebody as special as he is. We’ll find out more (Tuesday). We’ll move on as a team. Obviously, right now, I’m more concerned just about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that.”

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets calls a play against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Kaseya Center on Monday.Rich Storry / Getty ImagesIf Jokic misses any significant time, it would be a massive blow to Denver and in some respects to the entire NBA given how he’s considered one of the game’s absolute superstars. Even a one-month absence would mean about 16 games, which could have a serious impact on Denver’s standing in the loaded Western Conference.