The Denver Nuggets may have their star player back, but the Dallas Mavericks are certain to be without theirs when the two teams face off on Friday in Denver.
Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP, missed the Nuggets’ recent three-game road trip for personal reasons. He is listed as questionable for Friday’s game, but Luka Doncic of the Mavericks will be out after injuring his right wrist on Tuesday night. Doncic will miss at least a week.
This is a tough situation for Dallas, especially since this game is crucial in the NBA Cup group stage. Both the Mavericks and Nuggets have one loss in the West Group C standings, so the loser of Friday’s game will not move on to the knockout round.
Doncic has already missed time this season with a knee issue, and now he’ll be out for at least four games, according to ESPN.
“Injuries are a part of sport and unfortunately he’s had a couple of here early,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “Hopefully that means he won’t have any going forward. After this last one, hopefully he’s clean for the rest of the way.”
Despite Doncic’s absence, the Mavericks still have Kyrie Irving, who almost led Dallas to a win against Denver just under two weeks ago. Irving scored a season-high 43 points but missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds of a 122-120 loss.
Dallas was also missing P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II in that game, but both players have returned. The Mavericks will need to find a way to win their fourth straight game without Doncic.
“Next man up. Just be ready to guard the best man or just have the best man guard you,” center Daniel Gafford said. “It’s going to be a lot on (Irving). It’s going to be a lot on Klay (Thompson), but I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job whenever Luka has been off the floor… The strategy is still the same.”
The Nuggets lost their first two road games without Jokic but won their first group stage game against Memphis, 122-110, on Tuesday. Russell Westbrook recorded his NBA-record 200th career triple-double in that win. However, the Nuggets lost forward Vlatko Cancar to a left knee injury during the game.
“Not necessarily (season-ending). It could go a couple different ways,” coach Michael Malone said of Cancar’s injury. “We’re still gathering information, letting the knee calm down a little bit. So I don’t want to get doom and gloom. But he’s out for the foreseeable future.”
Losing Cancar, who missed last season due to an ACL tear, is another setback for the Nuggets. They are already without Aaron Gordon (calf) and possibly Jokic, who is averaging a triple-double this season.
Malone is not afraid to go deep into his bench. Guard Trey Alexander played nine minutes in the Memphis game and may see more playing time. Dario Saric, who had been out of the rotation for five games, has rejoined and started for Jokic during the road trip. Saric recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in Denver’s 105-90 loss to the Grizzlies on Sunday night.
