By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
P.J. Dozier was carried off the court after landing awkwardly on his left knee injury late in the first quarter of the Denver Nuggets loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
Following the initial imaging, the team fears that he tore his left ACL, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. An official update is expected later Wednesday.
Dozier, 25, averaged 5.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest playing in all 18 games of the 2021-22 NBA Regular Season. He was among the main bench options for head coach Michael Malone early in his third season at Denver. The former South Carolina standout previously played for the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder, despite not being selected in the 2017 draft.
The Nuggets forced down to 9-9 after the fifth loss in a row, are already missing plenty of players, including reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. The Serbian superstar sat out the last three games due to a right wrist sprain. Also, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are out long-term. Rookie Bones Hyland recently picked up a right ankle sprain and can miss multiple weeks.
Jokic, 26, is the only member of the injury list considered day-to-day. Coming up, a home fixture opposite the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks before a seven-game road trip stretching through the second week of December.
The Joker has put up 26.4 points, 13.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game over 14 appearances this season.
Photo Credit: Getty Images