Chicago Bulls: Nikola Jokic out for Nuggets with wrist injury
On the night of Nov. 19, second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls are getting set to take on the Denver Nuggets, who will now be without superstar center and the reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets are reportedly set to be without Jokic in this key cross-conference meeting entering the weekend due to a right wrist sprain.
This is only the second game that Jokic will have missed so far this season for the Nuggets and head coach Michael Malone. The first came in a Nov. 10 win for the Nuggets over the Bulls Central Division foe Indiana Pacers.
The three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA Team selection is off to a hot start this season. Missing him will be a huge detriment to the Nuggets, which is an obvious factor to note.
Chicago Bulls will face a Nuggets team without Nikola Jokic
Denver Nuggets say Nikola Jokić (right wrist sprain) is out tonight against the Chicago Bulls.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 20, 2021
Through 14 games played this season, Jokic averaged around 26 points per game, 14 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block. And he shot around 59 percent from the field, 41 percent from beyond the arc, and 75 percent from the free-throw line.
Jokic currently leads the NBA in most major all-encompassing advanced metrics including win shares per 48 minutes (.358), box plus/minus (15.1), total win shares (3.4), and player efficiency rating (35.1).
As a whole, the Nuggets have a lengthy and costly injury report at the moment. Jokic is definitely not the only key player the Nuggets are missing at this point. They are also set to miss forward Michael Porter Jr. and guard Jamal Murray, who have missed most and/or all of the regular season thus far due to various injury issues.
On the Bulls’ side, the most notable injury ahead of tip-off against the Nuggets is star center Nikola Vucevic. This is the eighth day for Vucevic missing for the Bulls, as he is still in the league’s health and safety protocol.
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Donovan and the Bulls are sporting a record of 10-5 heading into this meeting with the Nuggets following a close loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on the road on Nov. 17. Tip-off time between the Bulls and Nuggets in Denver is set for 8 p.m. CT.