MIAMI — Nuggets star Nikola Jokic limped off the court at halftime of Denver’s 147-123 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night after injuring his left knee about three seconds before intermission.

He was not on the field in the second half and will have an MRI on Tuesday.

“Immediately he knew something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the game. “Hey, that’s part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt in this game, it’s a little heartbreaking, especially someone as special as him. We’ll know more tomorrow. We’ll move forward as a team. Obviously, right now, I’m more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like this.”

Jokic was alone under the basket and appeared to step forward to help Denver’s Spencer Jones defend a drive by Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. as time was about to expire in the second quarter. While reversing, Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot and it appeared the center’s knee bent a bit.

Jokic collapsed on the court, grabbing his knee. He was helped to his feet, then made his way to the locker room under his own power but with a pronounced limp. He was evaluated by doctors Monday night before leaving the arena, and the Nuggets were scheduled to fly to Toronto on Tuesday for a game against the Raptors on Wednesday.

“It’s just part of this process,” Adelman said. “You don’t get definitive answers right after these things happen. I know he’s an extremely special player that people want updates on immediately; that makes perfect sense to me. But we will follow the process properly, for him and for our team.”

The Nuggets have faced major injury issues this season and were playing Monday without three potential contenders: Christian Braun (left ankle sprain), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring sprain) and Cameron Johnson (right knee injury management).

Denver has managed to fight its way through these injuries – thanks in large part to Jokic.

“The things he’s doing this year,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Monday’s game, “are really remarkable.”

Jokic had 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in the first half on Monday. If he sits out for any length of time, it will be a major blow to Denver and, in some ways, the entire NBA, given that he is one of the game’s superstars. Even a month’s absence would mean about 16 games, which could have a serious impact on Denver’s standing in a loaded Western Conference.

“Tonight my mind is going to wander,” Adelman said. “And there will be questions about what we should do in the future if he is out for a while or a long period of time.”

Jokic is a three-time MVP and was certainly early in the MVP conversation this season, having started Monday averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists – on track to average a triple-double for the second straight campaign.

“He’s not only a big part of what we do, but almost everything we do,” Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “We just want to see him healthy, and everyone here is ready to step up.”

Jokic has also been remarkably durable. He has missed 36 games over the past five seasons; the Nuggets went 13-23 during those absences. He played in all 32 games for Denver this season.

“I hope for the best,” Adelman said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of launching a large-scale drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences in the Novgorod region, a claim kyiv dismissed as a “fabrication” intended to derail ongoing peace talks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine deployed 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight from Sunday to Monday. He claimed that all drones were intercepted and destroyed by Russian air defenses and that there were no casualties or damage. Lavrov called Ukraine’s actions “state terrorism” and warned that Russia would reconsider its negotiating position in the U.S.-led peace process.

Ukraine has strongly denied these allegations. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the claims “typical Russian lies” designed to justify further attacks on Ukraine and undermine peace efforts with the United States. “It is essential that the world does not remain silent now,” Zelensky said on X, calling for continued international support for the negotiations.

The accusation comes shortly after Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss a revised peace plan. Ukraine says it has accepted 90% of the US proposal, including post-war security guarantees, although territorial disputes remain unresolved.

Zelensky rejected the request

Speaking to Fox News, Zelensky said that while there is a “possibility of ending this war” by 2026, Ukraine still counts on support from the United States. He also expressed skepticism about Putin’s desire to seek peace.

The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has left much of the eastern Donbass region disputed. Russia controls around 75% of Donetsk and 99% of Luhansk, while Ukraine continues to resist Moscow’s advances.

As tensions rise, international attention is now focused on whether alleged attacks like the one on Putin’s residence further complicate the fragile peace process.