Denver Nuggets at Miami Heat
· National Basketball AssociationJokic gets hurt late in 1st half, Heat pull away from there to top Nuggets
The teams were tied at 63 at halftime, with Jokic getting hurt with about three seconds left before the intermission. Miami then scored 47 third-quarter points to take full control.
Nikola Jovic scored 22 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 20 and Bam Adebayo returned from a two-game absence to grab 10 rebounds for the Heat, who had gone 1-15 in their last 16 games against Denver — the one win coming in five-game defeat to the Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals.
Denver had also won the last 11 regular-season matchups between the clubs and hadn't lost a game in Miami since 2018.
But everything changed after halftime, with Jokic remaining in the locker room areas for evaluation.
Jokic still led the Nuggets in scoring with 21 points, along with eight assists and five rebounds. Jamal Murray scored 20 for Denver and Spencer Jones — who stepped on Jokic's left foot on the play where the three-time MVP was injured — scored 16 for the Nuggets, as did Tim Hardaway Jr.
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 backtracking, Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot and it seemed the center’s knee buckled.
Jokic collapsed to the court, grabbing at the knee and writhing in pain.
The Heat topped the 140-point mark for the eighth time in the 2025 calendar year. Miami had seven such games from its inception in 1988 through 2024, combined.
Heat: At Detroit on Thursday night.
Regular Season Series
Series tied 1-1
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 123 - 147 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 123 - 147 |
| 4th 0.1 |  |
Nuggets offensive team rebound | 123 - 147 |
| 4th 1.2 | |
Curtis Jones misses 26-foot three point jumper | 123 - 147 |
| 4th 4.1 | |
DaRon Holmes II defensive rebound | 123 - 147 |
Statistics
 DEN |
 MIA |
|
|---|---|---|
| 47-89 | FG | 53-99 |
| 53 | Field Goal % | 54 |
| 11-31 | 3PT | 22-46 |
| 35 | Three Point % | 48 |
| 18-22 | FT | 19-23 |
| 82 | Free Throw % | 83 |
| 36 | Rebounds | 46 |
| 6 | Offensive Rebounds | 15 |
| 30 | Defensive Rebounds | 31 |
| 29 | Assists | 40 |
| 5 | Steals | 8 |
| 4 | Blocks | 4 |
| 10 | Turnovers | 9 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 10 | Total Turnovers | 10 |
| 1 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 1 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 19 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 12 |
| 9 | Fast Break Points | 18 |
| 58 | Points in Paint | 56 |
| 21 | Fouls | 22 |
| 2 | Largest Lead | 27 |
| 6 | Lead Changes | 6 |
| 2 | Percent Led | 92 |
Miami Heat Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Jaime Jaquez Jr., F | Out | Jan 6 |
| Terry Rozier, G | Out | Oct 23 |
Denver Nuggets Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Tim Hardaway Jr., G | Day-To-Day | Jan 6 |
| Christian Braun, G | Day-To-Day | Jan 6 |
| Aaron Gordon, F | Day-To-Day | Jan 6 |
| Jamal Murray, G | Day-To-Day | Jan 6 |
| Jonas Valanciunas, C | Out | Jan 1 |
Game Information
Location: Miami, FL
Attendance: 20,047 · Capacity:
2025-26 Northwest Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oklahoma City |
30 | 7 | .811 | - | L2 |
 Denver |
24 | 12 | .667 | 5.5 | W1 |
 Minnesota |
24 | 13 | .649 | 6 | W3 |
 Portland |
17 | 20 | .459 | 13 | W3 |
 Utah |
12 | 23 | .343 | 17 | L4 |
2025-26 Southeast Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Orlando |
20 | 17 | .541 | - | L1 |
 Miami |
20 | 17 | .541 | - | L1 |
 Atlanta |
17 | 21 | .447 | 3.5 | L2 |
 Charlotte |
13 | 23 | .361 | 6.5 | W2 |
 Washington |
10 | 25 | .286 | 9 | W1 |
NBA News
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