The Nuggets are rolling. Winning three of their last four games, they sit comfortably in the fourth spot of the West standings. However, the Mavs are lurking right behind with equal wins. And that makes their clash tonight extremely crucial. But the Nuggets could be in deep trouble heading into the game. That’s because Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are on the injury report.

Yes, Murray is questionable to suit up. The reason? Left knee soreness. Well, the injury forced him to leave Friday’s Nets encounter midway as his knee seemingly flared up. And he finished the night playing only sixteen minutes and scoring seven points. Obviously, Murray’s absence would be a massive blow to the team because he is their second-best player, averaging 19 points and over six assists.

Moreover, an even bigger concern is the status of Jokic. Turns out, he has still not fully recovered from the illness that caused him to miss two games before returning against the Nets. And he is currently listed as probable for tonight. Surprisingly, Joker showed zero signs of fatigue on Friday as he led his team to victory with a 35-point triple-double. Surely, Denver fans would be hoping that the big man suits up tonight and continues his historic season, as he is averaging 31.6 points and thirteen rebounds.

Unfortunately, there are few stars who will surely be unavailable. As expected, Aaron Gordon, Vlatko Cancar, and DaRon Holmes II continue to remain out due to injury. In the worst-case scenario if both Jokic and Murray are out, Zeke Nnaji and DeAndre Jordan will see significant increase in minutes in the big man spot, and Russell Westbrook could replace Murray as the starting guard. Of course, Nuggets are not the only team dealing with such issues.

Mavericks set to face Nuggets without Two key superstars

While Jokic and Murray have a chance to show up tonight, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are not that lucky. Yes, Doncic has been out since Christmas Day with a left calf strain and he will be reevaluated later this month, which rules him out for tonight. Joining him on the sidelines is Kyrie, who is dealing with a bulging disc in his back. He is also expected to be out for one to two weeks.

Obviously, this puts the Mavs in major trouble as they continue to play without their two best players. However, Jason Kidd’s squad has done a decent job staying afloat in the two stars’ absence. But tonight’s matchup will truly put them to the test. Whose side are you on?