The Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas reacted to his calf strain injury, admitting that the situation isn't good.
The Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas suffered a major setback in Toronto as he got injured with a right calf strain in his first game in the Nuggets' starting lineup, taking on Nikola Jokic's role.
As Nikola Jokic and Darko Rajakovic maintained a lively conversation in Serbian in one of the hallways of the Scotiabank Arena two hours before the Raptors vs. Nuggets game, Jonas Valanciunas was soaking in nostalgia in his beloved Toronto.
After finishing his warmup to take on his mission to replace the best player in the world, the Lithuanian center was all smiles as he greeted personnel from the Raptors, the same franchise where he played between 2013 and 2019, to make a name for himself in the NBA.
It was a bittersweet time, like his umpteenth return to Toronto with a different jersey, a sad goodbye to 2025 like his farewell from the Raptors, when all eyes were on him.
Filling the MVP's Shoes with a Dominant Performance
Valanciunas was shining through numbers and nailing his duty of taking on the three-time MVP's role in his first game in the starting lineup this season.
Late in the third quarter, the intimidating Lithuanian center had 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in 23 minutes, outsizing the Raptors and even doing Jokic things with no-look dimes.
An Injury Ends Valanciunas Game
But Valanciunas had to leave the game limping off the court with 4:03 left in the third quarter and the Nuggets up 75-72. Denver announced the center had suffered a right calf strain.
While Denver took pride in its collective effort to end up pulling off a valuable 106-103 win, Valanciunas exuded anguish and frustration in the locker room, where he was sitting across from Jokic.
After limping out of the shower, the center sat down for medical treatment and put on a walking boot while jabbing at the pain.
Valanciunas Honest Reaction to His Injury
Valanciunas, who spoke with BasketNews despite the injury, couldn't hide his frustration.
"I got injured, not good, brother," Valanciunas said. "What am I going to say? Is he happy? No, I'm f***ing injured."
Utena's native will undergo further tests on the first day of the year to determine the extent of the injury.
The calf strain could sideline him for up to one month, the same period Jokic will approximately miss due to his knee injury. NBA teams are taking calf injuries more seriously than ever, as they are a predisposing factor for the feared Achilles tendon tear.
Credit AP/Scanpix nuotr.
Valanciunas added himself to the long list of injuries of the Nuggets, with other starters like Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson sidelined.
"Shit happens. It was really good playing and being part of the team," Valanciunas said. "Now I gotta get better, fix my calf, and then be back, better than ever. It's simple to say, but it's not simple to do."
Valanciunas is averaging 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 13.3 minutes this season, shooting 59% from the field.
Nuggets Head Coach Hopes For the Best
Nuggets head coach David Adelman also reflected on Denver's new setback.
"They said it's a calf strain. I don't know how serious it is," Adelman told BasketNews. "We're getting used to this; it seems every night someone has something. The cool thing about it is there is somebody else to get an opportunity from it, and that's how we have to look at it."
"Hopefully Jonas heals up correctly, hopefully it's not serious, just like I said the other 19 times this month," said the Nuggets' coach, who also praised Valanciunas' performance.
"He was great, like I said before the game, he's been sick, I saw a much different energy from him tonight," Adelman noted. "Again, he just stats out 23 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists."
"I mean, if he ends up playing the 32 minutes I thought I was going to play him, you're probably looking at 25 and 12. That's what we can do, especially against teams that have small lineups, like they did, small compared to that man. It was really cool to see him play well," Adelman added.
Prayers might be up in Denver, hoping Valanciunas heals quickly and resumes his role as Nikola Jokic's replacement. The Nuggets currently sit third in the Western Conference with a 23-10 record, but cushions go away fast in the competitive, wild West.
Apparently, fate wanted the Lithuanian to start enjoying the privilege of replacing the best player in the world in his beloved Toronto, but Valanciunas got on a frantic rollercoaster, going through the same sequence of emotions we went through in six years in only a matter of hours.
He was warmly welcomed, loved, and cheered on his plays, but left in pain.
Toni Canyameras
Toni Canyameras began his basketball media career in 2021, covering FC Barcelona. He became a fan of the sport thanks to Barça and the Japanese manga series Slam Dunk. Toni moved to Toronto in 2022 and has since been covering the NBA from a European perspective, reporting on games, All-Star weekends, and the Summer League. He holds a degree in Journalism, a Master's Degree in Sports Journalism in Spain, and a Postgraduate in Journalism in Canada.
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