The Denver Nuggets won their sixth straight game but had to overcome a 13-point deficit. The win puts David Adelman’s side two games ahead of Minnesota and Houston in the battle for fourth. But that battle won’t be straightforward, as multiple players hobbled off during the Golden State Warriors encounter, including Cam Johnson.

An hour before the tip-off, Aaron Gordon was ruled out. Then the Nuggets would lose 3 more forwards during the game. Spencer Jones left the game after the first quarter. Cam Johnson went to the locker room early in the third quarter, and then Zeke Nnaji followed suit soon. With Peyton Watson on a minutes restriction since returning from a right hamstring strain, the problems for the head coach grew.

But what the broadcast missed was his exit and the 30-year-old being in serious pain. A fan from the stands above the tunnel caught the moment as Johnson left early in the third quarter with left rib pain. He managed to return to the sideline with his torso wrapped, but did not play again. Before his exit, Johnson played 19 minutes and contributed with a shooting performance that included 2-of-5 from the field.

Alongside his scoring, Cam Johnson contributed three assists and one rebound, block, and steal, showcasing his all-around game despite the injury concern. It’s been a tough season for the 6-foot-8 forward. Earlier in the season, a knee injury sidelined him for almost two months, and then lingering ankle issues made it worse.

He was expected to be Denver’s third scoring option behind Jokic and Jamal Murray. But currently he is the team’s sixth scorer. Earlier this month, after the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 117-108 at Ball Arena, Cameron Johnson had an emotional reaction.

He went scoreless for the first time this season after shooting 0-for-6 in 23 minutes. “It’s a lot of things, man, there’s a lot of things. One, understanding that you’ve been through it before, understanding that every time that you feel down that you don’t really feel like you’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” Johnson said to the media after the loss, breaking down in tears.

“Just feel like you just keep letting yourself down, letting your teammates down, that every time that’s happened I’ve been able to turn it around.” If the rib injury is serious, that could again cause him to miss some games and stifle his and the Nuggets’ momentum. Especially with injuries piling up before the crucial playoffs.

Apart from Cam Johnson, what happened to the other stars?

Initially, they had no players on their injury report for Sunday’s game. But the Aaron Gordon news became the unfortunate domino. He was ruled out due to calf soreness, marking another setback in a season where he has missed 44 games due to various injuries. Watson came instead, but was already on a minute restriction. So, the onus was on Spencer Jones.

Jones has been a big part of Denver’s rotation. Unfortunately, after just six minutes of action, he left with right hamstring tightness and did not return. Then the injury to Cam Johnson in the third frame. A few minutes later, even Zeke Nnaji took an elbow to the face from Kristaps Porzingis and landed awkwardly. He also headed back as the team stated it was due to hip impingement. After the game, a serious update emerged as Nnaji was seen leaving the arena with crutches.

Even coach Adelman couldn’t comprehend the loss of his players. “He (Aaron Gordon) didn’t start. And then Spence goes out, and then Cam goes out, and I thought Zeke was really impactful. Then he went out. I’m hoping for good news tomorrow. Obviously, it’s nice to have these two days in between the next one.”