Hearts sank in deep pits when Nikola Jokic trudged off the court with an extreme limp. The Denver Nuggets played against the Miami Heat on December 29 when things went awry. The star-center awkwardly hyper-extended his left leg during a play in the last seconds of the second quarter. He left the game and didn’t return in the second half. The Nuggets lost 147-123, but everyone only waited to hear about Jokic.

That uncertainty didn’t last long, as Nikola Jokic has now been diagnosed with a hyperextension in his left knee and will miss at least four weeks, according to Shams Charania.

Nikola Jokic’s best-case scenario

“All I know is it’s just a left knee injury,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said immediately after the game.

With the diagnosis now confirmed, fans turned to Brian Sutterer’s YouTube channel for more insight. He is an MD in sports and orthopedic medicine with years of experience, and one of the most reliable voices in this field.

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Sutterer refers to it as a “lower-severity type of hyperextension” of Jokic’s left knee. That initial optimism proved accurate after testing confirmed Jokic avoided any ligament damage. Jokic never returned, and his final tally stood at 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting, five rebounds, and eight assists.

Sutterer replayed the moments when Jokic was defending in the paint. As he shuffled his feet, Nuggets forward Spencer Jones stepped on his left foot as the center planted it. It caused his left knee to buckle and hyperextend backward.

Jokic then lay on the court in discomfort, grabbing his knee. Medical staff tended to him until he was able to leave the court on his own.

Considering factors like Jokic not running at the time of injury and the direction the leg buckled, Sutterer has a mostly positive prognosis.

“First of all, you’re going to have bone bruising,” he optimistically said, which is painful but mostly requires only a week or two to recover.

Can the Nuggets’ worst fears manifest themselves?

Another possibility is a capsular sprain or tear, which is still manageable without surgery. Worst-case scenario, as per Sutterer, is a tear in the ACL or PCL. However, based on his observations, he doesn’t think Jokic has suffered anything requiring a surgical fix and a long recovery.

“I think there are more positive prognostic things to look at than there are negative,” Sutterer said. ” But I think with everything that we’re seeing, I’m more optimistic than I am pessimistic.”

So what should we anticipate from the Nuggets’ injury report?

How Long Will Nikola Jokic Be Out?

The Nuggets avoided the worst-case scenario, as tests confirmed Jokic’s knee ligaments are intact despite the extended absence. Subsequent testing confirmed Jokic suffered a knee hyperextension with no ligament damage, though the injury will sideline him for a minimum of four weeks.

Jokic is expected to miss at least four weeks, marking the longest absence of his 11-year NBA career. Shams Charania noted this will be the most time Jokic has missed in 11 NBA seasons, having played at least 69 games in each of his first 10 years.

Other popular sports doctors had identical assessments, which gives us hope.

Our fingers are crossed because the Nuggets can’t afford to lose Jokic. Their injury list is crowded with Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Cameron Johnson (knee), and Christian Braun (ankle) already. The effect of losing the franchise centerpiece became instantly evident in the second half in Miami.

The Heat pulled away after a dominant third quarter. Norman Powell led with 25 points, Nikola Jovic added 22, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 20 points and 11 assists. Jamal Murray kept the Nuggets in the game with 20 points and 11 assists, but it wasn’t enough. They were outscored in the final two quarters.

Now, the reality of playing without Jokic for at least the next four weeks looms large over the Nuggets. Jokic has missed 36 games over the last five seasons, and the Nuggets have gone 13-23 without him. It’ll be the first time he’ll miss games this season.

“Hoping for the best,” Adelman said after the Heat game, admitting he didn’t have “definite answers.”