NIKOLA JOKIĆ INJURED: Serbian star missed Denver’s loss, injury details revealed! (VIDEO)

The Denver Nuggets received grim, arguably the worst possible news, during warmups for their game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, Central European Time.

Nikola Jokić, the Serbian national team center, was unable to play in the home “Ball Arena” against the Texas team. Without the three-time MVP award winner and Aaron Gordon (calf injury), Denver’s chances were significantly reduced against the second-ranked team in the Western Conference.

The result reflected this reality. After four quarters, the scoreboard read 108–128, with the victory going to Ime Udoka’s team.

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Why Didn’t Jokić Play Against Houston?

According to official reports, the Sombor native felt pain in his elbow during warmups. The cited reason for his absence was “inflammation in the elbow area.”

This marked the first game of the season Jokić missed due to injury. In November, he was sidelined for three games due to the birth of his son, and last week, he missed two games due to illness.

Jokić is having a stellar individual season, leading the NBA in averages for points (30.6), rebounds (13.2), and assists (9.9).

Following this loss, the Nuggets hold a 24–16 record, placing them fourth in the Western Conference standings. Denver’s next game is scheduled for Friday night, when they will visit Miami. It remains to be seen how Jokić’s elbow condition develops and whether the Olympic bronze medalist with the Serbian national team will rejoin the roster.

How Did the Denver–Houston Game Unfold?

In Jokić’s absence, Jamal Murray could not replicate his phenomenal performance from the previous game, though he wasn’t bad. He finished with 22 points (8/14 shooting), 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Christian Braun also scored 22 points, shooting an almost perfect 10/11 from the field.

Russell Westbrook contributed 17 points (6/14 shooting), 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Veteran DeAndre Jordan, who replaced Jokić in the starting lineup at center, had an interesting stat line. The former Team USA player logged 23 minutes but scored no points. He didn’t attempt a single shot, nor did he record an assist. However, he grabbed 8 rebounds, made 1 steal, and blocked 3 shots.

The best player for the victorious Rockets, who led the game from start to finish, was Jalen Green. The guard has been in outstanding form recently and recorded 34 points (10/16 shooting, 8/8 free throws) and 5 assists in less than 30 minutes on the court.

Turkish center Alperen Şengün, often compared to Jokić for his style of play, registered 20 points (9/21 shooting), 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. Veteran guard Fred VanVleet added 16 points and 8 assists.

Houston continues its excellent season, increasing its lead over Denver in their head-to-head matchups.