Jamal Murray’s lingering hamstring injury is worse than initially feared.
And his availability for the start of the playoffs is uncertain. This is according to Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who expounded on Murray’s health ahead of Sunday’s 125-120 loss to the Indiana Pacers
Advertisement
The Nuggets ruled Murray out prior to tip for a fifth consecutive game with a hamstring injury that’s been designated at different times as inflammation and tightness. Before each of those games, Murray was listed as questionable before being ruled out on game day. Sunday’s loss was the fourth straight for the Nuggets with Murray out of the lineup.
Nikola Jokić had another big game against Indiana with 41 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists. Christian Braun had one of the best games of his career with 30 points, eight rebounds and four assists. But the Nuggets committed multiple turnovers down the stretch of a close game and clearly missed the services of their starting point guard.
Malone on Murray: ‘He’s hurt’
Malone spoke with reporters prior to the game about Murray’s health. He explained that Murray’s absence against the Pacers wasn’t simply precautionary.
“Jamal’s hurt,” Malone said, per the Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. “It’s not careful. He’s hurt. So there’s a big difference. Careful is if a guy can play and you want to be smart. We’re not in a situation to do that.”
Advertisement
Malone was then asked about Murray’s anticipated availability for the playoffs.
“Hopefully he’s able to be back by then,” Malone said. “This has been a weird one. It was day-to-day, day-to-day, and then next thing you know, it’s not day-to-day.”
That is not what Nuggets fans want to hear. After Sunday’s loss the Nuggets have three games remaining before the start of the postseason.
Jamal Murray’s health is essential to Denver’s hopes of competing for a second NBA championship. (AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
(AAron Ontiveroz via Getty Images)
Nuggets title hopes in peril if Murray is injured
Murray’s health and availability is critical to Denver’s hopes of competing for a second NBA championship in three seasons. Murray was healthy and starred during Denver’s run to the 2023 title.
He played in all 20 postseason games and averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.1% from the field and 39.6% from 3. He hit multiple big shots during the postseason, including a buzzer-beater to beat the Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
Advertisement
Nikola Jokić was obviously the catalyst of that title run. But Murray’s performance was essential in securing the championship.
Murray played through a calf strain during the 2024 postseason. He was not nearly as effective with averages of 20.6 points, 5.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 40.2% from the field and 31.5% from 3. Denver’s title defense fizzled out in a second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Murray’s health wasn’t strictly to blame for Denver’s loss to a Timberwolves team that gave the Nuggets fits on defense and matched up exceptionally well. But it played a significant factor.
Advertisement
And if Murray is either unavailable or significantly hampered due to his hamstring this postseason, Denver’s hopes of navigating through the Western Conference are slim.
The Nuggets have the best player in basketball in Jokić. But as much as he tries, he can’t do it all. And he’s the only All-Star on a roster that’s built with little margin for error.
Murray has played at times like an All-Star in the postseason. But a Nuggets team playing without Murray, Michael Porter Jr. or Aaron Gordon running on all cylinders will have a difficult time rising above the rest of a stacked Western Conference.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Jeff Van Gundy has been the Clippers’ not-so-secret weapon on defense all year long
The LA Clippers have been a winning program every regular season since the 2011 lockout ended. What they haven’t always been is a top defense.The highest ranked defense of Vinny Del Negro’s tenure was being No. 8 in 2012-13, which was his final season. In Doc Rivers’ seven seasons as head coach, the Clippers only had three top-10 defenses, peaking at fifth in 2015-16 and Rivers’ final season in 2019-20. Tyronn Lue’s defense ranked eighth in 2021 and ’22 but slipped to 17th in 2023 and 16th in ’24.AdvertisementThe solution for Lue’s 2024-25 Clippers? Jeff Van Gundy.He was hired as lead assistant coach and Lue’s defensive coordinator after spending the 2023-24 season as a senior consultant with the NBA champion Boston Celtics. Before last season, Van Gundy was on ESPN’s top broadcast team for 16 seasons after ending four years […]
Shaquille O’Neal joins Sacramento State men’s basketball program as GM
Shaquille O’Neal has joined the Sacramento State men’s basketball program as general manager, the school confirmed Tuesday, making him the latest star to attach his name to a college program in a new trend this offseason.O’Neal will join first-year coach Mike Bibby’s program in an unpaid, voluntary capacity. His son, Shaqir O’Neal, recently transferred to Sacramento State after spending his junior season at Florida A&M and first three collegiate seasons with Texas Southern.AdvertisementBibby, the longtime NBA guard who spent more than six seasons with the Sacramento Kings, was hired as men’s basketball coach in March.ESPN first reported the news of O’Neal agreeing to join Sacramento State.Multiple college programs have turned to current or former NBA stars this offseason to fill GM-type capacities. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry joined his alma mater, Davidson, as the men’s basketball GM in March […]
„Ich glaube fest an diesen Fußball!“ – Welche Barça-Legende Flicks Spielstil adelt
Ein Neu-Trainer spricht in den höchsten Tönen über den aktuell vielleicht erfolgreichsten Trainer der Welt!Ex-Barça-Torwart Victor Valdes ist ein Eigengewächs des Vereins, rückte 2002 von der Jugend in die erste Mannschaft auf. Erst zwölf Jahre später verließ er den Klub. Zwölf Jahre, in denen er Superstars wie Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi und Xavi zu seinen Teamkollegen zählen durfte. Ein Barça-Team gespickt mit Legenden: Ronaldinho (45, oben links), Lionel Messi (37, Mitte unten), Xavi (45, vorne 2. v. l.) und Keeper Victor Valdes (43, oben rechts)Foto: picture-alliance / Pressefoto ULMER<!-->]-->Valdes, der jetzt den Trainerposten von Real Avila angetreten hat, weiß also, wovon er redet, wenn er sagt: „Ich schaue Barça wirklich gerne, weil der Trainer erkannt hat, wohin sich der Fußball entwickelt hat und dem 4-3-3 eine andere Note mit einer anderen Dynamik verleihen konnte.“ Und: „Ich genieße es wirklich, ihnen zuzusehen. […]
Snyder’s Soapbox: Baseball’s acronym overload has created a language no one actually speaks
Getty Images Welcome to Snyder's Soapbox! Here, I pontificate about matters related to Major League Baseball on a weekly basis. Some of the topics will be pressing matters, some might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and most will be somewhere in between. The good thing about this website is that it's free, and you are allowed to click away. If you stay, you'll get smarter, though. That's a money-back guarantee. Let's get to it.This is going to be a playful one, so anyone getting serious, check out right now, please. Are you ready for acronym overload? Surely you are. You've been living in our current world. Quick, who leads the majors in xwOBAcon this season? It's Aaron Judge, but we didn't need that stat to proclaim that he's been the best hitter in baseball this season, did we? I'm not […]
Na počest zesnulého papeže Františka začne poslední etapa Gira ve Vatikánu
„Řím je zvláštní místo, muzeum pod širým nebem. A letos bude mít ještě něco navíc. Etapa bude začínat ve Vatikánu a bude celá věnována zesnulému papeži. Účastníci Gira by měli odjet od Porta del Perugino, vstupní brány na náměstí,“ řekl šéf pořádající organizace Urbano Cairo.Giro d'Italia začne popatnácté v zahraničí, tentokrát 9. května poprvé v Albánii.Papež František zemřel na Velikonoční pondělí na mozkovou mrtvici v 88 letech. O pět dnů později se s ním na zaplněném Svatopetrském náměstí naposledy rozloučila veřejnost, obřadu se zúčastnilo na náměstí a v jeho okolí zhruba 250.000 lidí.
William Scull defends himself before fighting Canelo Alvarez and sends a message to the De La Hoyas and more: “No, I’m not a bum”
Some wanted David Benavidez, others wanted the rematch against Dmitry Bivol, or even to see him again against Golovkin (unlikely), but the reality is that Canelo Alvarez will face William Scull in Saudi Arabia, and it is the Cuban who responds to all the famous detractors and not so famous, flaunting his resume to remind them why he is the chosen one.In his first words prior to the fight this Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, William Scull responded to critics such as Oscar de la Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez, who have criticized and claimed that the fighter is not at the level of Saul AlvarezLike a sheikh! Canelo welcomed with flowers in Saudi Arabia ahead of his big fight"To each their own, everyone has their own taste, their own way of thinking […]
Related
Jeff Van Gundy has been the Clippers’ not-so-secret weapon on defense all year long
The LA Clippers have been a winning program every regular season since the 2011 lockout ended. What they haven’t always been is a top defense.The highest ranked defense of Vinny Del Negro’s tenure was being No. 8 in 2012-13, which was his final season. In Doc Rivers’ seven seasons as head coach, the Clippers only had three top-10 defenses, peaking at fifth in 2015-16 and Rivers’ final season in 2019-20. Tyronn Lue’s defense ranked eighth in 2021 and ’22 but slipped to 17th in 2023 and 16th in ’24.AdvertisementThe solution for Lue’s 2024-25 Clippers? Jeff Van Gundy.He was hired as lead assistant coach and Lue’s defensive coordinator after spending the 2023-24 season as a senior consultant with the NBA champion Boston Celtics. Before last season, Van Gundy was on ESPN’s top broadcast team for 16 seasons after ending four years […]
Shaquille O’Neal joins Sacramento State men’s basketball program as GM
Shaquille O’Neal has joined the Sacramento State men’s basketball program as general manager, the school confirmed Tuesday, making him the latest star to attach his name to a college program in a new trend this offseason.O’Neal will join first-year coach Mike Bibby’s program in an unpaid, voluntary capacity. His son, Shaqir O’Neal, recently transferred to Sacramento State after spending his junior season at Florida A&M and first three collegiate seasons with Texas Southern.AdvertisementBibby, the longtime NBA guard who spent more than six seasons with the Sacramento Kings, was hired as men’s basketball coach in March.ESPN first reported the news of O’Neal agreeing to join Sacramento State.Multiple college programs have turned to current or former NBA stars this offseason to fill GM-type capacities. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry joined his alma mater, Davidson, as the men’s basketball GM in March […]
„Ich glaube fest an diesen Fußball!“ – Welche Barça-Legende Flicks Spielstil adelt
Ein Neu-Trainer spricht in den höchsten Tönen über den aktuell vielleicht erfolgreichsten Trainer der Welt!Ex-Barça-Torwart Victor Valdes ist ein Eigengewächs des Vereins, rückte 2002 von der Jugend in die erste Mannschaft auf. Erst zwölf Jahre später verließ er den Klub. Zwölf Jahre, in denen er Superstars wie Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi und Xavi zu seinen Teamkollegen zählen durfte. Ein Barça-Team gespickt mit Legenden: Ronaldinho (45, oben links), Lionel Messi (37, Mitte unten), Xavi (45, vorne 2. v. l.) und Keeper Victor Valdes (43, oben rechts)Foto: picture-alliance / Pressefoto ULMER<!-->]-->Valdes, der jetzt den Trainerposten von Real Avila angetreten hat, weiß also, wovon er redet, wenn er sagt: „Ich schaue Barça wirklich gerne, weil der Trainer erkannt hat, wohin sich der Fußball entwickelt hat und dem 4-3-3 eine andere Note mit einer anderen Dynamik verleihen konnte.“ Und: „Ich genieße es wirklich, ihnen zuzusehen. […]
Snyder’s Soapbox: Baseball’s acronym overload has created a language no one actually speaks
Getty Images Welcome to Snyder's Soapbox! Here, I pontificate about matters related to Major League Baseball on a weekly basis. Some of the topics will be pressing matters, some might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and most will be somewhere in between. The good thing about this website is that it's free, and you are allowed to click away. If you stay, you'll get smarter, though. That's a money-back guarantee. Let's get to it.This is going to be a playful one, so anyone getting serious, check out right now, please. Are you ready for acronym overload? Surely you are. You've been living in our current world. Quick, who leads the majors in xwOBAcon this season? It's Aaron Judge, but we didn't need that stat to proclaim that he's been the best hitter in baseball this season, did we? I'm not […]
Na počest zesnulého papeže Františka začne poslední etapa Gira ve Vatikánu
„Řím je zvláštní místo, muzeum pod širým nebem. A letos bude mít ještě něco navíc. Etapa bude začínat ve Vatikánu a bude celá věnována zesnulému papeži. Účastníci Gira by měli odjet od Porta del Perugino, vstupní brány na náměstí,“ řekl šéf pořádající organizace Urbano Cairo.Giro d'Italia začne popatnácté v zahraničí, tentokrát 9. května poprvé v Albánii.Papež František zemřel na Velikonoční pondělí na mozkovou mrtvici v 88 letech. O pět dnů později se s ním na zaplněném Svatopetrském náměstí naposledy rozloučila veřejnost, obřadu se zúčastnilo na náměstí a v jeho okolí zhruba 250.000 lidí.
William Scull defends himself before fighting Canelo Alvarez and sends a message to the De La Hoyas and more: “No, I’m not a bum”
Some wanted David Benavidez, others wanted the rematch against Dmitry Bivol, or even to see him again against Golovkin (unlikely), but the reality is that Canelo Alvarez will face William Scull in Saudi Arabia, and it is the Cuban who responds to all the famous detractors and not so famous, flaunting his resume to remind them why he is the chosen one.In his first words prior to the fight this Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, William Scull responded to critics such as Oscar de la Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez, who have criticized and claimed that the fighter is not at the level of Saul AlvarezLike a sheikh! Canelo welcomed with flowers in Saudi Arabia ahead of his big fight"To each their own, everyone has their own taste, their own way of thinking […]
Be the first to leave a comment