Denver Nuggets guard P.J. Dozier will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after picking up a knee injury in Tuesday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The team announced the unfortunate development on Wednesday, with tests revealing that Dozier suffered a torn ACL in his left knee.
Dozier's injury adds to Nuggets' woes
Dozier got injured during the first quarter of the Nuggets' 119-100 loss at Moda Center. He landed awkwardly after a layup attempt, sending him crumpling to the floor. Dozier could not put some weight on his injured leg as his teammates carried him into the locker room.
The Nuggets' worst fears have been confirmed, with the fifth-year guard set to miss the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign. Losing Dozier is a big blow for the Nuggets, who have been plagued with injuries to their key players to start the season. He averaged 5.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists for the undermanned Nuggets this campaign.
Dozier provided quality minutes for the Nuggets' backcourt that is still missing the services of star guard Jamal Murray. The Canadian star has yet to play a game for the Nuggets this season after tearing the ACL in his left knee in April, the same injury that struck Dozier in the game against Portland.
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Porter Jr. and Jokic dealing with injuries as well
Michael Porter Jr., who signed a huge contract extension with the Nuggets this past offseason, is in danger of being shut down for the season after experiencing a nerve issue in his back. Porter had problems with his back before, undergoing two surgeries before he even played a game in the NBA.
Porter played just nine games for the Nuggets this season, averaging 9.9 points. That was a far cry from the 19 points he averaged for Denver last campaign. To make matters worse for Denver, Nikola Jokic has been struck by the injury bug as well, with the league's reigning Most Valuable Player missing the last three games because of a right wrist sprain.
The Nuggets can ill afford a long layoff for Jokic, who has been playing some excellent basketball this season. He averages 26.4 points, 13.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game this campaign. Jokic's field goal shooting has been outstanding as well, knocking down 65.4 percent of his two-point attempts and 41 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The good news for Denver is that Jokic might be back for Friday's game against the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. The Nuggets have struggled mightily of late, losing their last five games. They are currently 10th in the Western Conference standings with an even 9-9 slate.
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