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Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was out for Wednesday night's game against the New York Knicks. According to ESPN, the Joker entered the NBA's health and safety protocols on Tuesday.
Jokic began the routines alongside second-year guard Bones Hyland. He and Hyland will qualify to make a comeback whenever they are cleared by NBA regulations.
This season, players are not required to submit to routine testing, but there are some circumstances in which they must be examined for COVID-19. Players must be checked, for instance, if they display any symptoms or if a member of their household has tested positive for COVID-19. Not everyone that enters the procedure is necessarily infected with the virus.
Honestly, this is the safest way the NBA can go about keeping the league safe from the virus without hassling the players. At least the safety protocols aren't as strict as they once were a couple of years ago.
Denver Nuggets fall to New York Knicks in Nikola Jokic's absence
Nikola Jokic was out for Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks. Due to the absence of their star center, the Denver Nuggets lost to the Nuggets 106-103. It was a close game throughout the entire matchup, however, with a key player missing from their lineup, the Nuggets struggled to get past the Knicks.
Julius Randle was the star of the night for New York. He had a double-double with 34 points and 11 rebounds. Randle shot 52.4% from the field. Thanks to his efforts, the Knicks were able to maintain the small lead they had the entire game. He was hot in the first half as he was able to score 24 points in almost 16 minutes of play.
Jalen Brunson added 21 points and shot 53.8% from the field. Brunson came alive in the second half wherein he scored 15 of his 21. He and Randle carried the load on offense to shut down the Nuggets.
Denver put up a good fight despite not having Nikola Jokic by their side. The Nuggets at one point briefly took the lead and were able to keep up with the Knicks all night. Jamal Murray and Bones Hyland were the team's top scorers that night. Both players scored 21 points respectively. Unfortunately, their tandem wasn't enough to match Brunson and Randle.
Given how the matchup played out, having Nikola Jokic in the game might've converted into a Nuggets victory. The two-time MVP, as of November 16, is averaging 20.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.5 steals. Compared to his MVP season, this year seems to be average for the Joker. However, it's always essential to have their big man around if the Nuggets want to win.
