Inside The Nuggets

New Update on Nikola Jokic After Injury Scare vs. Knicks

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was poked in the eye vs. the New York Knicks
New Update on Nikola Jokic After Injury Scare vs. Knicks
New Update on Nikola Jokic After Injury Scare vs. Knicks

During Thursday night's game between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, superstar center Nikola Jokic took a direct poke to the eye that sent him back to the locker room:

Despite this injury scare, Jokic started the second half for Denver, which is the best possible update there could be. Despite the direct shot to the eye, it seems that nothing too serious occurred on the poke from DiVincenzo.

This can not only be incredibly painful, but also cause serious damage for a professional athlete. Plays like this are of course accidental, as Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo was not trying to injure Jokic, but it was a direct poke to the eye that occurred while DiVincenzo was trying to make a play on the ball.

As previously mentioned, Jokic was forced to go back the the locker room where he was treated by the Nuggets' medical staff. Jokic made his two free throws before heading back to the locker room, which preserved his eligibility to return to the game. Had Jokic been unable to shoot his free throws, the Knicks would have been able to select anyone from Denver's bench to shoot the free throws, and Jokic would not have been eligible to return to the game.

For the Nuggets, the hope is certainly that this is not an injury that affects Jokic's ability to play going forward. 

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.