Jameer Nelson admitted there were times when he would raise an eyebrow at a player missing a game because of a wrist injury.

“You see a guy out with a wrist and you’re like, ‘Why is he out with his wrist?’ ” Nelson said.

Not anymore.

He fully understands the pain.

He’s living it.

“It’s funny; it happens to you and you see why,” Nelson said. “It’s a painful injury. Especially with a lack of blood flow to the area.”

Nelson is dealing with a sprained left wrist. Yes, he came back after missing six games to play well at Washington on Jan. 28. But he was not anywhere near 100 percent at the time. He was playing through the pain.

“I tried to, I tried to,” said Nelson, who also played two nights later at Indiana. “I played in those two games. But it was just like I told Coach, I felt pretty good in the Washington game, but the Indiana game I felt nowhere near myself. I didn’t feel like I could help the team. And if I’m not helping the team, I’m hurting it. So I just felt like it was better for me to sit down.”

Nelson, who has missed the past two games because of the injury, wears a brace on the wrist now and is undergoing tests to see exactly how long he will be out of action. It’s certain that the veteran point guard won’t play Friday against Chicago and is a longshot at best for Sunday’s game at New York and Monday’s game at Brooklyn. He has had an MRI on the wrist to help determine the severity of the damage.

“I’m just waiting on some things to get resolved to see what’s next, what’s best for it and how we approach the next step,” Nelson said. “I’m always going to be honest with Coach, the organization and the training staff. I just told them I was hurting. For whatever reason, before the game I was hurting in Indiana, so I tried to play through it. I’ve played through injuries before. I’ve dealt with pain.”

Nelson has had a good season as the primary ball handler off the bench with averages of 7.9 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds. He has played alongside rookie Emmanuel Mudiay a lot this season, and has been relied upon to close out games when Nuggets coach Michael Malone has needed him.

“We should know something within the next couple of days,” Nelson said. “I’m hoping Monday at the latest.”

In addition to his on-court duties, he has been a stabilizing force in the Nuggets’ locker room.

“It’s more frustrating than anything because I want to be out there, I want to play,” Nelson said of his injury. “We’re talking playoffs, we’re talking getting better and taking that next step as a team and as an organization, and I signed here to be a part of that.”

Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or @dempseypost

CHICAGO AT DENVER 7 p.m. Friday, ALT; 950 AM

Spotlight on E’Twaun Moore:

The guard found himself in the starting lineup Wednesday in place of the injured Jimmy Butler — and Moore responded with the best performance of his career. He had a career-high 24 points and will be the starter again against Denver if Butler isn’t able to play. Moore is averaging 5.7 points in just over 17 minutes per game this season. In 284 career games, spanning five seasons, Moore has started 28 games.

NOTEBOOK

Bulls:

Jimmy Butler, Chicago’s leading scorer, is questionable because of tendinitis in his left knee. He was a late scratch in the Bulls’ most recent game, Wednesday at Sacramento. It was the first game he missed all season. … Center Pau Gasol is questionable with a left hand sprain. … Mike Dunleavy is closing in on a season debut, but it won’t be against the Nuggets. He remains out, still recovering from offseason back surgery.

Nuggets:

The NBA announced Thursday that guard Will Barton was selected for the slam dunk event Saturday, Feb. 13, in Toronto. Also participating are defending champion Zach LaVine of the Timberwolves, Andre Drummond of the Pistons and Aaron Gordon of the Magic. … Center Nikola Jokic fought through a strained left shoulder to play against Utah but remains a bit of a question mark to play Friday against Chicago. Even so, the expectation is he will. Jokic scored eight points and had nine rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes against the Jazz. … The Nuggets have won eight consecutive games at home against the Bulls. Their last loss to Chicago in Denver took place Feb. 8, 2006.

Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post