The Denver Nuggets lost a tough game at home Tuesday night to the Boston Celtics as they were without their star center Nikola Jokić.
With Denver now set to face off against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night as the second part of a back-to-back, the question becomes will Jokić play? The answer is no, as the Nuggets have officially ruled him out for the second consecutive contest with an illness.
Without Jokić on the court this season, Denver is 1-3 in games without him, and they now face off against a Clippers team who have won six of their last 10 games. With Jokić sidelined, Dario Šarić is expected to start in place of the three-time MVP. In Tuesday’s game, Šarić recorded zero points, one rebound and four assists in 17 minutes of playing time.
For the Nuggets to win the matchup, they will need Šarić and the rest of the roster to step it up. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. will be relied upon the most without both Jokić and Aaron Gordon in the lineup.
The Clippers will also be without one of their star players in Kawhi Leonard, who made his season debut on Saturday after rehabbing a knee injury. Kawhi is taking a leave of absence from the team as his family was forced to evacuate their home due to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Even with the two stars out, it should still be a great matchup against two of the better teams in the Western Conference. Tipoff is scheduled at 9:00 p.m. EST.
