76ers vs. Nuggets: Nikola Jokic Lands on Injury Report Tuesday

The Denver Nuggets could be down a star center on Wednesday.

The Denver Nuggets and the Philadelphia 76ers will fire up their first of two matchups against each other this season on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the big matchup between the two MVP-winning bigs could be canceled for the night.

While Sixers center Joel Embiid has been injured frequently as of late, Jokic popped up on Denver’s injury report as he’s been downgraded to questionable. According to Denver’s injury report, Jokic is dealing with a hip strain.

Jokic last appeared on the court during the Nugget’s January 14 game against the Indiana Pacers. He checked in for 33 minutes at the time to produce 25 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, coming just one assist shy of another triple-double on the year.

If Jokic can’t get the nod to play on Tuesday, it would mark just the second game in 41 matchups he would miss. Unfortunately for the viewers, the battle of Jokic versus Embiid is an intriguing one, considering they have been and continue to battle against one another for the MVP award.

Over the previous three seasons, Jokic has won two MVP awards, edging out the runner-up Embiid. Last year, roles reversed as Embiid won the title, leaving Jokic in second place.

Even if Jokic gets the nod to play on Tuesday, there’s no guarantee Embiid will be active for the matchup. Lately, the Sixers’ star has been dealing with swelling in his knee, resulting in three straight absences. When Embiid first experienced his knee setback two weeks ago, he missed the second night of a back-to-back.

There’s no guarantee the trend will continue for Embiid on Tuesday, but he will be monitored closely heading into the battle. As for Jokic, his status remains 50/50 at this time.