Nikola Jokic left Nuggets fans holding their breath.

He suffered a scary knee injury during the team’s game against the Heat on Monday night in Miami.

 

Spencer Jones steps on Nikola Jokic during the Nuggets-Heat game on Dec. 29, 2025.

With just a few seconds left before halftime, Jokic’s teammate, Spencer Jones, accidentally stepped on Jokic’s left foot while trying to stay in front of Jaime Jaquez.

Jokic’s knee locked from the impact of getting stepped on, and he immediately went down to the ground in pain, holding that left knee. The Nuggests will await the results of an MRI exam to see what comes next.

“Immediately, he knew something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after Denver’s 147-123 loss. “Hey, this is part of the NBA. Anybody who gets hurt in this game, it’s kind of gut-wrenching, especially somebody as special as he is. We’ll find out more (Tuesday). We’ll move on as a team. Obviously, right now, I’m more concerned just about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that.”

Nikola Jokic lies on the ground in pain during the Nuggets-Heat game on Dec. 29, 2025.

He was eventually able to limp off under his own power, and was listed as questionable to return to the game.

Jokic is in the midst of another NBA-caliber season, averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists entering Monday.

Nikola Jokic goes down to the ground in pain during the Nuggets-Heat game on Dec. 29, 2025.

His rebounding and assist numbers are both best in the NBA.

“He’s not just a big part of what we do, but almost everything that we do,” Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “We just want to see him healthy and everybody in here is ready to step up.”