The Denver Nuggets will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on Friday, January 2, but they may be without one of their best players.
Jamal Murray is listed as probable with a left ankle sprain on the official injury report. He was an unexpected addition to the report after he had 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists on 33.3% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from beyond the arc in a 106-103 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, December 31.
Murray is having arguably the best NBA season, averaging a career-high 25.2 points, as well as 4.4 rebounds and seven assists while shooting 48.7% from the field and 45.4% from three.
Is Jamal Murray Playing Tonight?
Murray picked up a right ankle ailment earlier this season in a game against the Dallas Mavericks, forcing him to leave the contest early, but his current designation is for his left ankle. While the probable status means there is a good chance he will suit up against the Cavaliers, it will be worth monitoring the guard throughout the day.
Denver won’t take any chances with Murray if he is not feeling 100%. The Nuggets will likely evaluate him in pregame warmups before making a final decision on his status. If Murray is out tonight, Bruce Brown will be in line for even more minutes.
Julian Strawther (illness) is also listed as probable for tonight’s game. Jonas Valanchunis is out after picking up a calf strain against the Raptors.
Denver Nuggets Injury Woes This Season
If Murray does not play tonight, the Nuggets will be missing their entire starting five from the beginning of the season due to injury, with Valanchunis, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun all on the mend.
The most significant injury as of late was of course Jokic, the three-time MVP who was in the midst of a historic season. After hyperextending his knee in a 147-123 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday, December 29, he will miss at least four weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Head coach David Adelman provided an update on Gordon and Braun earlier this week, saying they could return at the beginning of next week. Denver will close a seven-game road trip with games against Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. Despite all of the injuries to key players, the Nuggets are 23-10 and in third in the Western Conference, with Murray in competition for his first All-Star selection.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Nuggets Get Major Injury Update On Jamal Murray appeared first on Heavy Sports.