Nikola Jokic shares perplexing explanation to limping early in Nuggets vs Celtics matchup

Nikola Jokic is one of the most nonchalant stars in the NBA. He showed it again when the Denver Nuggets took on the Boston Celtics on Sunday. In the first quarter, Jokic was seen struggling to run and walk on the hardwood. His limping came immediately after the initial jump ball.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps asked the 'Joker' about what happened to him in the opening period. Nikola Jokic answered humorously. While he clearly seemed to tweak something after the tip, Jokic didn't want to worry Nuggets fans about his availability.

"Yeah, I've limped basically the past 14 years," Jokic told Bontemps when asked about his injury.

Some speculated on social media that Jokic might've twisted his ankle. However, injury reports on the Nuggets star never appeared after Sunday's conclusion. This means that Denver fans should expect the Joker to be available in their next game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

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Nikola Jokic fails to power Nuggets through Celtics

The Denver Nuggets took on the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, on Sunday night. It was a close game between the two as the Celtics won by seven points with a 110-103 finish. Boston led Denver throughout the game. Despite their lead, the Nuggets consistently kept the game close.

Nikola Jokic nearly put up a triple-double performance in his attempt to put the defending champions away. Jokic added 20 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Jamal Murray and Christian Braun assisted him on the offensive end of the court.

Murray was the Nuggets' leading scorer on Sunday. He scored 26 points while adding seven assists and six rebounds. Braun also had a solid scoring performance with 24 points. Christian's offensive production was matched with an efficient effort on defense as he came up with four steals. Their efforts failed to derail the champions.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led the Celtics to victory. Brown was Boston's player of the game as he came up with an all-around performance on Sunday. He added 22 points, eight assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. As for Tatum, he matched Nikola Jokic's double-double performance with 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

If the Denver Nuggets lose against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, they will fall back to third place, allowing the LA Lakers to take second place in the Western Conference.