Contrary to what the Denver fans hoped, things got off to a rocky start for the Nuggets in Game 5. After already dealing with the ambiguity around the availability of an injured Jamal Murray, the defending Champions suffered another massive blow early in the first quarter. Although Murray’s availability elated many, Ball Arena went silent pretty quickly when their other guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit the deck hard and headed to the locker room.

During a transition play in the first quarter, KCP received a pass from The Joker, which could have led to an easy layup. However, in an attempt to avoid the defender, KCP landed awkwardly on his left ankle, tweaking it and also bricking the layup. Then, the Lakers took possession and the play continued, but Kentavious struggled to run back on defense. Instead, he limped and hobbled up and down the court, waiting for the game to stop so that he could check out. As soon as the whistle blew, KCP left the game and headed straight to the locker room to assess the severity of his injury.

Meanwhile, KCP was replaced by Justin Holiday on the court. Raising more concerns about his injury, it was reported minutes after KCP went to the locker room that he would be questionable to return due to a left ankle sprain. After playing seven minutes before the unfortunate ankle injury, KCP failed to add any points to the board.

Miraculously enough, the 2-time Champion would make his return to the court in the second quarter, shocking everyone.

How important is KCP for Denver’s playoff success?

With KCP back on the court despite the scary injury, the Nuggets would feel more confident to win tonight. Having won two Championships in the last four years, KCP has proven how important he is for the Nuggets to win another title this year. A lethal shooter from deep, Kentavious helped the Nuggets win their first title in franchise history last year, that too in his first season on the team. Averaging over ten points in the playoffs last year, and shooting an efficient 38% from deep, KCP played a key role in Denver’s success.

Not only that, just four seasons ago, KCP played the same role for his tonight’s opponents, the Lakers. When the whole world was dealing with a pandemic, KCP helped LeBron James win his fourth Championship in The Bubble in 2020. In those playoffs as well, KCP scored over ten points on a nightly basis while shooting nearly 38% from distance.

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With his history in the playoffs, it is evident that the Nuggets need KCP healthy to win another title this year. Hopefully, he can be successful in doing that throughout the playoffs.