Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was sidelined for Denver's clash with Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night because of an illness.

After squandering a 15-point first half lead, the Celtics and Nuggets played a nip and tuck game for most of the second half until Boston took command midway through the fourth quarter. With Jamal Murray on the bench, the Celtics erupted with a 15-0 run, breaking the game open in the final five minutes of the win.

"Injury Update: Nikola Jokic (Illness) will be out tonight against the Boston Celtics," the Nuggets announced. Sure enough, Nuggets fans expressed disappointment with the news, especially amid high expectations of an incredible battle between the two powerhouse teams.

Nikola Jokic, originally listed as questionable, was ruled out due to an illness. The Denver Gazette watched Jokic leave the arena with a team trainer an hour before tipoff. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Jokic started feeling ill Monday.

DENVER — Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was sidelined for Denver’s clash with Jayson Tatum and the Celtics on Tuesday night because of an illness. The Nuggets center went from probable to questionable to out over the course of the day. He was seen leaving the arena a little more than an hour before tipoff.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will not play against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night due to a non-COVID illness.

Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was ruled out of Tuesday night's game against the Celtics because of an illness.

The Celtics won’t need to worry about facing one of the NBA’s best players Tuesday night in Denver. An hour before tipoff at Ball Arena, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was ruled out due to illness, leaving a crater in the Nuggets’ lineup.