Despite Injury Plague Concerns, Nikola Jokic Scares off Anthony Edwards’ & Co With Final Update on Nuggets

Defeating the Los Angeles Lakers by a score of 4-1, the Denver Nuggets will now progress towards the Western Conference Finals. There, they will face off against the Anthony Edwards-led Minnesota Timberwolves. Even though the Nuggets possess a 7-3 record against their rivals, the stakes during this stage of the tournament will be much higher than before. Nothing can be left to chance; therefore, all members of the main lineup need to be healthy enough to participate in the matchup. Thanks to a recent update from star player Nikola Jokic, this won’t be too much of a problem.

A few hours ago, the Serbian player spoke out about his team’s injury status after their recent game. He stated that he would not mind if all of his opponents, especially the Timberwolves, were under the misconception that some of his players were dealing with injuries. This would only work to the Nuggets’ advantage. However, for the sake of honesty, Jokic made it clear that “we are not hurt.”

Nikola Jokic has been one of the most consistent players for the Nuggets, appearing in 79 regular season games and all five playoff games. However, concerns about his availability have been circulating ever since Jokic developed a left hip inflammation almost a month ago. Fortunately, the injury was not serious and did not force him to miss out on any crucial matchups.

Another player whose availability was a matter of concern was the MVP of the most recent game, Jamal Murray. He developed a left calf strain during Game 4 of the Lakers-Nuggets Playoff Series and was listed as ‘questionable’ on the injury report. Head coach Michael Malone even indicated that the decision to include Murray would be taken carefully since the Nuggets cannot risk ‘further injury’. However, he made himself available during Game 5 and scored 32 points to lead his team to victory. Point guard Reggie Jackson, who was earlier listed as ‘questionable’ but still managed to play, also had his name removed from the report.

The details of the Timberwolves Injury Report have not yet been made public. However, power forward Kyle Anderson can be expected to return to a ‘questionable’ status. The most serious injury currently plaguing the Timberwolves roster is surrounding their coach, Chris Finch. After his collision with Mike Conley during Game 4, the 54-year-old ended up with a torn patellar tendon. In his absence, assistant coach Micah Nori may end up taking the reins during the Western Conference Finals.

Nikola Jokic vs. Anthony Edwards: A comparison of stats

Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards are the leading scorers for two of the most dominant teams in the ongoing NBA season. Ever since Ant-Man joined the NBA in 2020, he and the Serbian Center have shared a competitive yet friendly rivalry. Each has displayed some of their best performances on the 14 occasions that they have met. However, Jokic has showcased that with experience, comes better stats.

During the 14 clashes, Nikola Jokic averaged 28.9 points, 13 rebounds, and 7.9 assists. At the same time, Edwards came up short with 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Both players are somewhat matched in their shooting skills. Edwards slightly leads the free throws with his 3.6–4.4 (82%) in comparison to The Joker’s 5.5–6.9 (79.4%).

However, when it comes to field goals, Jokic is at 11.2–18.9 (59.5%), while his rival is at 7.6–16.6 (45.5%). More than three weeks have passed since the duo’s most recent clash against each other. That night at the Ball Arena in Colorado, Jokic dropped a score of 41 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. It was the player’s 20 overall career game in which he had scored beyond 40 points.

While Edwards had scored his all-time career-high of 51 points during the previous game against the Wizards, he fell short and could only manage to drop 25. The Denver Nuggets or the Minnesota Timberwolves—who’s your pick during the Western Conference Finals? Let us know in the comments down below.