Is Jamal Murray playing tonight against the Lakers? Latest injury update on Nuggets' star ahead of matchup
In a much-anticipated third-round meeting against the Lakers, Jamal Murray is listed as questionable with a non-COVID illness and is yet to be determined if he will be good to go for Game 1.
During the Semifinals round against the Phoenix Suns, Murray averaged an impressive stat-line of 24.8 points on 45.2% shooting, including 35.9% from three-point range, along with 6.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds.
The last time the Nuggets and the Lakers were matched up was in the bubble back in the 2020 playoffs, wherein, the Nuggets ended up losing in 5 games with Murray later revealing after the series that he was playing through a bone bruise on his knee.
“I have a big bruise on my foot,” Murray said. “Just hurt me all game. I changed shoes, and that didn’t help. Yeah, I have a bone bruise [as well]. I don’t like to tell everybody what I got. I just like to play through it. I was in pain, but it’s cool. I was out there. I was struggling a little bit today.”
With Jamal Murray's questionable status for Game 1, although not as serious as a bone bruise injury, it'll be interesting to see the adjustments that Nuggets' coach Michael Malone will cook up in the possible scenario that his All-Star point guard is unavailable.
This is a completely different Denver team this time around as they have a much deeper roster with Nikola Jokic playing the best basketball of his life. Spearheaded by Michael Malone's coaching, the Nuggets rank number one in offense with a rating of 118.7 and number five on defense with a rating of 110.1.
If Murray is ruled out for Game 1, the Nuggets will turn to Michael Porter Jr., who is averaging 17.4 points on 48.7% shooting, including 41.4% from three-point range. Despite his erratic shotmaking, Jokic will maintain overall control of the ball and set up plays for his teammates.
Jamal Murray closes out the Phoenix Suns in Game 6
Jamal Murray was spectacular all game as he dropped 26 points on an efficient shooting of 7-16, including 4-7 from three-point range, while also racking up 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals. He was the second-highest scorer on the team, following Nikola Jokic's 32-point outing.
The Suns had no counterpunch for the visiting team's offensive barrage of 53.7% shooting, including 36.4% from three-point range. The Nuggets showcased their strong roster depth as they had 5 players in double-digits scoring.