After losing three of their last four games, the Denver Nuggets went into a huge cross-conference matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, desperate to get back in the win column. Luckily for Denver, they had some help.
Superstar center Nikola Jokic missed Denver's last five games with an ankle injury, but finally returned to action on Wednesday night against Milwaukee. In his first game back, Jokic dropped 39 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists on 16-25 shooting from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc.
After Wednesday's win over the Bucks, Jokic talked about his five-game absence for the first time.
"It was just smart," Jokic said. "I couldn’t really jump on my left leg. So it was really painful, and it was just better to feel good. I don’t want to be on the floor and feel nervous because I cannot play how I want to play and on the level I want to play."
Nikola Jokic on missing 5 games: “It was just smart. I couldn’t really jump on my left leg. So it was really painful, and it was just better to feel good. I don’t want to be on the floor and feel nervous because I cannot play how I want to play and on the level I want to play.”
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) March 27, 2025
With just eight games left in the regular season, Jokic's health is more important than ever. The Nuggets desperately need Jokic as healthy as possible for the playoffs, especially since they are just 4-7 when he is sidelined this season. Jokic was also asked if he feels 100 percent after the injury.
"I feel much better than I thought," Jokic said. "I don’t want to say percentages and stuff, but I feel much better than I thought I was gonna be. ...I still feel (the ankle) a little bit, but it’s much, much, much, much, much less than how it was before."
Does Jokic feel 100% or just good enough? “I feel much better than I thought. I don’t want to say percentages and stuff, but I feel much better than I thought I was gonna be. … I still feel (the ankle) a little bit, but it’s much much much much much less than how it was before.”
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) March 27, 2025
Jokic is now averaging 29.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game this season while shooting 57.6% from the field and 41.5% from beyond the arc. While Jokic might not bring home his fourth MVP award, he likely has a championship on his mind instead, and the Nuggets certainly need him healthy for that to become reality.