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The Denver Nuggets have ruled Nikola Jokic questionable for the fourth consecutive game due to right calf tightness. Jokic could miss the Nuggets’ matchup against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night if he continues to be bothered by the said injury.
The back-to-back MVP didn’t look hobbled in his last game with the Nuggets on Mar. 27 versus the Philadelphia 76ers. He finished the game with 25 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists against the Joel Embiid-less Eastern Conference powerhouse team.
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The “Joker” was reportedly limited in practice heading into tonight’s battle against the Houston Rockets in Texas. Denver may choose to keep him sidelined, considering that they’re playing the second-worst team in the NBA record-wise.
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If Jokic is sidelined tonight, he could be available on Thursday for a mouthwatering clash with the Phoenix Suns in Arizona.
Thomas Bryant is expected to start if Jokic is unable to play, while DeAndre Jordan will get more playing time as the backup big man.
Nikola Jokic still has an incentive to play in the Denver Nuggets’ remaining four games
Nikola Jokic is averaging 24.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 9.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.9 minutes. If he accumulates 46 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ last four remaining games, he will average a rare triple-double.
If he accomplishes that, he will join Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season.
More importantly, that achievement could boost his stock as the co-favorite to win this year’s MVP award. The “Joker” is tied with Joel Embiid in the NBA’s latest report regarding the best player of the year race.
If Jokic wants to join Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird as the league’s only three straight MVP winners, he will need to play. As the race against MVP goes down to the wire, every advantage counts.
Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have finished 1-2 in the MVP award in the last two years. Embiid will want to reverse that order this year, but not if Jokic can help it.
The Denver Nuggets' final regular-season record could impact Nikola Jokic's MVP bid
The “Joker’s” incentive to play isn’t limited to individual goals only. He still has to lead the Denver Nuggets to go 1-3 in their last four games to earn the top seed in the Western Conference.
Denver (52-26) is three games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies (49-29) for pole position in their conference. If both teams end up with the same record, the Nuggets will still get the best record as they own the tiebreaker.
The best player on the team with the best win-loss slate in the Western Conference will add fuel to Nikola Jokic’s MVP contention.
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