Nikola Jokić is averaging a triple-double for the second straight season.
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets finally have some beneficial news on the injury front — big man Nikola Jokić is back on the court.
And how.
Jokić returned to the starting lineup Friday night against the LA Clippers in his first game since suffering a knee injury on Dec. 29. Playing on a minutes restriction, the three-time NBA MVP finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three assists in 25 minutes as the Nuggets won, 122-109.
Jokić has missed 16 games since limping off the floor just before halftime at Miami. He was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee, with the Nuggets saying at the time the three-time NBA MVP would be re-evaluated in four weeks. ESPN first reported the plan for Jokic to play Friday.
Just in on NBA Today — Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic returns for tonight’s game against the Clippers: pic.twitter.com/VoSbKk9yaA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 30, 2026
The knee injury interrupted one of Jokić”s finest seasons. He’s averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 11 assists while shooting a career-best 43.5% from 3-point range.
His return Friday helps keep him eligible for major individual NBA awards this season. Should he play all the remaining games, he would finish with 66. He needs to appear in 65 of Denver’s 82 games to be eligible for most awards like MVP and All-NBA.
The 30-year-old Jokić has finished first or second in the MVP balloting in each of the last five seasons.
Jokić was hurt against the Heat when teammate Spencer Jones stepped on his left foot. The center from Serbia fell to the floor and grabbed at his knee before limping toward the locker room.
Denver has gone 10-6 in his absence.
Jokić’s return would be a boost for a Nuggets team that just lost Aaron Gordon after the high-flying forward reinjured his right hamstring. Gordon is expected to be out at least a month. Christian Braun (left ankle) and Cameron Johnson (right knee) remain sidelined.
