Nuggets get great news on Murray, he may play at OKC

Jamal Murray is considered day-to-day and has been listed as questionable for Monday’s game in Oklahoma City, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and the team’s official injury report.

The diagnosis is encouraging news for the Nuggets, who feared the worst after Murray’s scary exit Friday night. Murray underwent testing over the weekend, and the team was optimistic he wouldn’t miss extended time.

Head coach David Adelman said after Friday’s game that Murray was “really sore” but noted the 29-year-old typically bounces back quickly from injuries. The Nuggets did not hold a formal practice Sunday before flying to Oklahoma City.

“This has just been insane,” Adelman said after the game. “Every time we get somebody back I feel like somebody else goes out.”

Nikola Jokic expressed similar disbelief last week.

“We are not healthy, probably the whole season, and we will see when we’re going to be healthy, because it seems like every time somebody is about to come back, something happens,” Jokic said.

The Murray injury came after just five minutes of play with the team’s entire opening starting five healthy for the first time since early November.

Murray was trying to stop a strong OG Anunoby drive in the paint but he took contact that resulted in a foul, fell back, and stepped on Nikola Jokic’s foot. It looked like Murray’s left ankle was the issue. He was helped off the floor by teammates Peyton Watson and Jonas Valanciunas, not putting much weight on that leg.

Murray is having the best year of his career and has been one of the healthiest Nuggets players — he had missed just five games entering Friday’s contest. He rode his strong season to his first All-Star appearance last month, participating in the 3-point shooting contest as well. The 2023 championship-winning guard was averaging a career-high 25.8 points per game this season while also notching career-bests with 7.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds when he exited the game. He’s doing so while shooting 48.3% from the field, 43.1% from three, and 88% from the free throw line.

Murray did not start the second half and was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a left ankle sprain. The Nuggets went on to lose 142-103, the worst loss by margin at home in franchise history.

Watson himself remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, though his return is nearing. Once he’s back — and if Murray is able to play — the Nuggets will be fully healthy for the first time since the opening days of the season. Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Jokic, Valanciunas, Gordon again, and Watson have all missed extended time.

The Nuggets have lost both games against the Thunder this year, the reigning champions, who defeated them in Game 7 of Round 2 in last year’s playoffs. The top-seeded Thunder haven’t lost to the Nuggets in OKC since Gordon’s game-winning three in Game 1 of last season’s playoff series. This is the first time the teams have met since Jokic was cheap-shotted by Lu Dort late last month.

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