Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo said he hates seeing players like Nikola Jokic go down with injuries, noting how much he enjoys competing against one of the best players in the league.
The Denver Nuggets endured a frightening injury scare on Monday night, as their superstar Nikola Jokic suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury in a 147–123 loss to the Miami Heat.
Jokic went down in the final seconds of the first half and was visibly limping as he headed to the locker room.
He did not rejoin the Nuggets after halftime and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game. The Serbian star finished the night with 21 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in just 19 minutes of action.
Hopes are high that Jokic escaped with only a minor injury, including from his on-court rival Monday night, Heat All-Star big man Bam Adebayo.
Reacting to the matchup and Jokic’s injury, Adebayo said he hates seeing players of that caliber go down, noting that facing elite talent brings out the best competition.
“It’s always fun playing against him,” Adebayo said postgame. “You see the greatness. One thing I like about it is the competition at the end of the day. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t really flop or foul-bait, and I truly respect that. You hate to see guys go out like that.”
The Nuggets are already severely shorthanded, with starters Christian Braun (ankle), Aaron Gordon (hamstring), and Cam Johnson (knee) sidelined. Any extended absence from Jokic would be especially devastating for a Denver squad that has managed to stay competitive as a top-three team in the Western Conference at 22–10.
Alongside Jamal Murray, Jokic has carried the Nuggets through the injury-plagued stretch. The Serbian superstar is in the midst of yet another historic season, averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 11.1 assists per game.
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