Murray, the star point guard of the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets, sat for the fifth straight game on Sunday. He is out with a strained right hamstring. His absence leaves a gaping hole for the Nuggets. They meet the Indiana Pacers at the end of a three-game losing streak, and the Warriors now find themselves in 4th place in the very competitive Western Conference. After all, the team is three games over .500 and one game ahead of the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies.
Even Denver Coach Michael Malone recognized the challenges that Murray’s injury would cause. “Jamal’s hurt. It’s not [being] careful. He’s hurt,” he stated, underscoring the impact of Murray’s absence on the team’s performance. The Nuggets have made a serious pivot. So thus far without Murray, they have been leaning hard on 15th-year veteran guard Russell Westbrook to replace Murray.
Murray’s absence changes the overall chemistry for Denver, but it makes their task of stopping other teams much more difficult. The added challenge the Pacers had to deal with was two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. This season, he’s on the verge of reaching a historic milestone. He could become the first player in NBA history to finish in the top three for scoring, rebounds, and assists.
The Nuggets have notoriously struggled in past playoffs. In particular, Murray was uncharacteristically bad during last year’s second-round series against Minnesota, and when suited up for Canada during the Paris Olympics. With the playoffs looming, Malone is hopeful that Murray will be back in time. He added, “We’re all hoping that he’s able to be back by then.”
After all of these disappointments, Malone’s still hopeful that his team can put it all together. He noted Russell Westbrook’s contributions: “We wouldn’t be where we are right now, in fourth place with four games to go, if it wasn’t for Russell this year.” That sentiment speaks to Malone’s faith in his team’s toughness when faced with challenges.
Leave a Reply