Injury Update: Nikola Jokic's Final Status for Warriors vs. Nuggets

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Initially listed as questionable on the injury report, Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic has been ruled out for Sunday night's game against the Golden State Warriors. With the Memphis Grizzlies losing earlier today, the Nuggets have slightly less pressure to win this game, as their lead over the two-seed Grizzlies has increased to 2.5 games.
It is a calf injury that has Jokic sidelined right now, and while it is not considered to be extremely serious, the team is being abundantly cautious with the playoffs right around the corner. With Jokic out, this is a game that the Warriors should certainly win.
Golden State is in a unique position in the standings, because while they hold sole possession of the 5th seed, they sit only one loss above the 6th seed Clippers, 7th seed Pelicans, and 8th seed Lakers. There are several different outcomes in the standings that all remain possible for the Warriors, so they must take care of business and win the games that are in front of them.
Any slippage from Golden State could result in a play-in finish, which is something they certainly want to avoid. A win today would go a long way towards easing some of the pressure the Warriors have faced for a while now. Looking to take care of business against the Nuggets, Golden State will not have to deal with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.
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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.
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