The traffic around TD Garden might be a bit much today as the East vs West showdown is underway. The Celtics are hosting their Western rivals, the Nuggets, for their final regular season encounter with one another. What was supposed to be a nail-biting, action-packed thriller might not quite live up to the hype. Wondering why? Well, just minutes into the game, and Nikola Jokic is already limping. That definitely doesn’t sound like a good news for the Denver side.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps has stated, “Nikola Jokic looks like he’s moving around a bit gingerly. Hard to tell exactly what happened. Also hasn’t stopped him from getting off to a hot start, scoring 7 of Denver’s 10 points in the opening four minutes.” The big man hasn’t even been able to run properly yet without limping a bit. Could this mean the Serbian will be sitting out early today?

Although Jokic has been powering through despite the discomfort, he’s still managed to put up 11 points on the scoreboard along with 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. All of this in just 20 minutes on the court. He’s certainly toughing it out for the Nuggets. At this point a double-double or even a triple-double doesn’t seem surprising. But pushing it too hard could also backfire.

Before halftime, the score is leaning in favor of the Celtics. Now, the last thing the Nuggets would want is for Nikola Jokic to be sidelined. That would be a blow for the team, who is already dealing with Aaron Gordon’s issue.

Nikola Jokic’s injury could add to Nuggets’ concern amid Aaron Gordon’s absence

Ahead of today’s game, Gordon was listed as questionable because of an ankle sprain on his left foot. But the forward was spotted taking some shots in warm-ups. However, just prior to the game, the franchise ultimately decided to drop him from the roster. And his was downgraded to out.

This is the 24th game the 29-year-old has missed. Despite his absence, the team has managed to keep a 15-9 record this season. While his averages of 12.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists might not fully justify his impact, there’s no doubt Gordon is a key piece in the Nuggets’ squad.

Nevertheless, Nikola Jokic is carrying his side against the home team, who already secured a win the last time the two sides met. So, the Nuggets can’t afford to lose their 3x MVP otherwise they wouldn’t be able to have a chance against the Celtics. Do you think the Nuggets can still pull through, or will the Celtics secure another victory? Drop your predictions below before the game ends!