The Denver Nuggets (37-23) take on the in-form Minnesota Timberwolves (37-23) at home tonight. Both teams are evenly matched on paper and in the Western Conference standings table as the fourth and fifth seeds, respectively. All eyes will be on Nuggets franchise superstar Nikola Jokic, who had an eventful outing in Friday’s 121-127 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here’s the latest on Jokic’s injury status and predicted starting line-ups for both teams.

Is Nikola Jokic Playing Today Against the Timberwolves?

As per the latest team injury update, Nikola Jokic is cleared to start tonight. The 3x NBA MVP was in the headlines over the weekend for his on-court altercation involving OKC’s Lu Dort and Jaylin Williams. He played for 45 minutes in that matchup, scoring 23 points, with a massive 17 rebounds and 14 assists. But he could not prevent a narrow loss to the reigning champions.

Jokic missed a major chunk of January out with knee issues, but has been a mainstay since returning to the starting lineup. In 44 games this campaign, Jokic is averaging 28.7 points, 12.6 total rebounds, and 10.5 assists. He remains in contention for a potential fourth MVP title alongside OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, and Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham.

The Nuggets are 5-5 in their last 10 games and will look to bounce back this afternoon against Minnesota. They will need all the support from home fans as they will be tested by a strong Timberwolves side led by the dangerous Anthony Edwards.

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Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report for (Mar 1)

Denver Nuggets HC David Adelman has a more or less fit bench for today’s outing. However, long-term absentees Tamar Bates (left foot – surgery recovery) and veteran Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) are ruled out. 24-year-old guard Curtis Jones misses out due to his G-League commitments, and 2022 first-round pick Peyton Watson also won’t be involved due to a right hamstring strain. 29-year-old forward Cameron Johnson is listed as probable as he recovers from right ankle inflammation concerns, but should get some minutes on the court.

For the visitors, HC Chris Finch will be happy that he has a strong bench to call upon for today’s crunch matchup against the Nuggets. 25-year-old power forward Enrique Freeman and Australian Rocco Zikarsky both miss out as part of their G-League two-way deal. Former New York Knicks star Julius Randle is listed as questionable as he is dealing with lower back spasms, but will most likely get some minutes off the bench.

Denver Nuggets Injury Report

Tamar Bates – Out (Injury/Illness-Left foot; Surgery)

Aaron Gordon – Out (Injury/Illness-Right hamstring; Strain)

Cameron Johnson – Probable (Injury/Illness-Right ankle; Inflammation)

Curtis Jones – Out (G-League Two-Way)

Peyton Watson – Out (Injury/Illness-Right hamstring; Strain)

Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report

Enrique Freeman – Out (G-League Two-Way)

Julius Randle – Questionable (Injury/Illness-Low back; Spasms)

Rocco Zikarsky (G-League Two-Way)

Predicted Starting Lineups for Nuggets vs Timberwolves

Based on the latest injury news and reports, here’s how both teams could potentially line up at tip-off tonight at the Ball Arena in Denver.

The Nuggets will be yearning for a win on Sunday, especially after Friday’s loss on the road. Canadian hooper Jamal Murray (39 points) and Christian Braun (23 points) starred alongside Jokic in that game, and they will once again be key today. Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valanciunas should make an impact when coming off the bench as the Nuggets look to return to winning ways.

Timberwolves coach Finch will hope that Edwards continues in the same vein as he did in the 94-88 win over the LA Clippers. The franchise star completely ignored his coach’s instructions but ultimately scored the shot, which was enough to make it two wins in a row for Minnesota. The visitors are 6-4 in their last 10 games and will look to improve on that as they push for a higher seeding before April. Naz Reid and Terrence Shannon Jr. should get additional minutes tonight as the Timberwolves look to rotate their starting five.