The Denver Nuggets face the Washington Wizards as Nikola Jokic remains sidelined with injury while Jonas Valanciunas nears a possible return.

— Julian Strawther scored a season-high 20 points and the short-handed Denver Nuggets built a 23-point lead before hanging on to beat the slumping Milwaukee Bucks 102-100 on Friday night. Peyton Watson scores career-high 35 points as short-handed Nuggets ...

The Denver Nuggets have been going into their NBA battles in January handicapped by an almost unthinkable number of serious injuries. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and starting wing Cam Johnson both went down in late December with bone bruises that resulted from hyper-extended knees.

Tuesday night brings a packed NBA schedule with seven games spread across both conferences. Some teams are fighting to stay in the playoff picture, while others are trying to build momentum midway through the season.

The Houston Rockets have been eliminated from the NBA Cup after posting a 2-2 record through group play. They'll miss out on the chance to compete in Las Vegas for the second year in a row after losses against the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs.

There is optimism around the Nuggets that star big man Nikola Jokic might be able to return from injury in the coming weeks.

Denver Nuggets' star Nikola Jokic will miss the January 23rd clash against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a left knee bone bruise. The team, already accustomed to playing without their MVP, will lean on depth and structure.

The Denver Nuggets will certainly want Nikola Jokic back on the floor sooner rather than later.