Nikola Jokic is set to return to the court on Friday, barring any unexpected setbacks.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Denver Nuggets center is working on keeping his eligibility for season awards. The veteran center went out as an MVP favorite, out in front of the Oklahoma City Thunder guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Nuggets are playing the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Lately, the Clippers have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning nine of their last 10. They went from being near the bottom of the Western Conference to inserting themselves in the NBA Play-In picture.
As for the Nuggets, they have fared well throughout the year with and without Jokic on the floor. Throughout the first 32 games of the season, Jokic helped the Nuggets post a 22-10 record. He averaged 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game while shooting 60 percent from the field and 43 percent from three.
After Jokic suffered a knee injury on December 29, he was ruled out for at least one month of action. The official diagnosis after the initial scare was believed to be a huge relief for the Nuggets, as many worried that Jokic might’ve suffered a season-ending setback for the first time in his career.
Since Jokic went out of the lineup, the Nuggets have gone 9-5. It's been an impressive stretch without the MVP candidate in the mix. While he’s likely to get eased back into the lineup, the Nuggets will certainly see a major boost with their star center.
At 32-16, the Nuggets enter Friday's game as the third seed in the Western Conference. They have won seven of their last 10 games and hold a two-game lead over the Houston Rockets. With a win on Friday night, the Nuggets could see themselves grabbing hold of the second seed, surpassing the San Antonio Spurs.
The Nuggets and the Clippers are scheduled for a 9 PM ET tip on Friday.
Newsweek