The Denver Nuggets are optimistic Nikola Jokic could return from his knee injury by the All-Star break, offering hope amid critical stretch.

NEW YORK — When the Denver Nuggets lost Nikola Jokić to a hyperextended knee on Dec. 29, they felt the collective loss of this year’s NBA MVP frontrunner and arguably the best basketball player in the world. But the Nuggets aren’t running from the challenge of what’s behind them this season and what’s still to come — they are embracing it.

Nuggets get positive injury news as Nikola Jokic trends well, with Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun nearing returns during Denver’s road trip.

Bruce Brown scores 19 points, including the winning bucket in overtime, to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 125-124 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

With the Nuggets missing Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas, Neemias Queta had a real chance to clean up on the glass and he took full advantage of it. Queta finished with 20 rebounds on the night, 10 offensive and 10 defense and became the first player since Celtics legend Robert Parish in 1989 to accomplish this feat.

These are the stories nine Nuggets bench players and their coach will tell decades from now about a peculiar basketball game in Philadelphia.

A highly anticipated NBA clash between the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics on January 7, 2026, is significantly altered by key absences. With Nikola Jokic and Jayson Tatum sidelined, the game shifts from a star-studded affair to a test of team depth and execution.

Bruce Brown scores 19 points, including the winning bucket in overtime, to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 125-124 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night

Don’t miss tonight’s Peacock NBA Monday tripleheader. The action begins at 7:00 PM ET when the New York Knicks take on the Detroit Pistons. Then, at 8:30 PM, the Denver Nuggets go head-to-head with the Philadelphia 76ers. At 10:00 PM, the action heats up on the West Coast with a Golden State Warriors vs LA Clippers showdown.

Denver sports anchor Scotty Gange apologized on air earlier this week after telling viewers not to watch Monday’s Nuggets–76ers NBA game. Gange, the sports anchor for 9NEWS Denver, advised viewers to do household chores — such as washing their car or taking out the trash — rather than watch the Nuggets.