When Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic went down clutching his left knee in the second quarter of Monday night's loss to the Miami Heat, many NBA fans feared the worst. However, it appears that the three-time MVP avoided the worst-case scenario.

Jokic being out for a month is certainly not good news, but the fact that all of his ligaments are intact, and he should be able to return in early February, in plenty of time for the playoffs, is great news for the Nuggets. Denver is already without three other starters, Christian Braun (left ankle sprain), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain), and Cam Johnson (right knee injury), so the team will need to rely on players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Payton Watson, and Jonas Valanciunas with Jokic sidelined.

The All-Star center suffered the injury on the final defensive possession of the half. Jokic was alone under the basket when Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. drove to the hoop. Jokic stepped up to help teammate Spencer Jones, who was backpedaling. Jones didn’t see Jokic and stepped on his left foot, which caused the center’s knee to hyperextend and sent him to the floor, grabbing at his left knee. Trainers came over to assist Jokic, who was able to get up on his own, but was noticeably hobbling to the locker room and grabbing onto objects to help keep him upright.

At the time of his injury, Jokic had 21 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in 19 minutes. He came into the game as the odds-on favorite to win another MVP, averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 11.1 assists per game this season. However, being on the shelf for the next month may have shifted the MVP odds back in favor of Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who also won the award last year.