Nikola Jokic will miss the third game in a row for personal reasons

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic missed Tuesday night’s 122-110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the third straight game he missed for personal reasons.

The 7-foot-2, three-time Most Valuable Player leads the Nuggets in points (29.7), rebounds (13.7) and assists (11.7). Denver had lost its past two games — against New Orleans on Friday and Memphis on Sunday — without Jokic before winning Tuesday.

Coach Michael Malone was noncommittal about whether Jokic would be available for Friday’s home game against Dallas.

“I have no idea about Friday,” Malone said in his pre-game comments Tuesday. “Obviously there’s no news out of Denver. So we’ll come back to that when we get home.’

The Nuggets have struggled in Jokic’s absence.

In Sunday’s loss, the Grizzlies outscored the Nuggets, including ten offensive rebounds. Denver committed 15 turnovers and shot 41.7%. Besides Jokic, Denver is playing without forward Aaron Gordon, another key part of the Nuggets’ offense.

“We shouldn’t play a different way,” Malone said of Jokic’s absence. “You obviously don’t have a three-time MVP. I think we have to play harder. It has to be with Nikola or without Nikola. I think we have to play more physical.”

The Nuggets still had trouble on the boards in Tuesday’s game — giving up 19 offensive rebounds to the Grizzlies — but made up for it by forcing 22 turnovers.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.