Nuggets coach Michael Malone drops worrying Jamal Murray injury update
The first matchup of the season between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves did not disappoint, as two of the Western Conference's best teams delivered a physical, intense, down-to-the-wire thriller at the Target Center on Friday night. In the end, the game unfolded the same way the Western Conference semifinals did this past May ... down the stretch, the Timberwolves just had too much for the Nuggets, but this time, Denver was without their 'closer.'
After the game, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone expressed frustration that the officials missed a clear foul on the play in which Jamal Murray was injured , before providing an update on the status of his point guard.
"I don't know how they missed that. He was going to set a rip screen. And his defender, not malicious, it wasn't a dirty play, but pushed him," Malone said, per Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. "It definitely was a significant hit, so obviously we'll always prioritize his health and safety. And make sure he's in a good place. If he's not able to play, obviously we're hoping to get him back as soon as possible, but I just don't want to speculate because I really don't know any more details with it."
Michael Malone added that he was unsure of whether Jamal Murray would be able to play in Denver's back-to-back on Saturday night against the Utah Jazz. But given the potential seriousness of a head injury like this one, it would be pretty surprising if Murray played against the winless Jazz.
Nuggets struggle down the stretch without 'closer' Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray has gotten off to a rough start in the 2024-25 season. Through the first five games of the year, he's averaging just 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists from the field. Even worse than the dip in numbers is the staggering drop in field goal percentage. After shooting a career-high 48 percent last year, Murray is shooting just 37 percent in the early stages of this season.
Even still, Murray has time and time again proven to be Denver's go-to-guy late in games, and that's exactly what they were missing last night. After trailing by 12 points early in the 4th quarter, the Nuggets used a 27-5 run over the course of seven minutes to take a 114-104 lead with just three and a half minutes to go. But that ten-point cushion wasn't large enough for the Nuggets to hold onto the victory.
"Jamal is our closer," Aaron Gordon said after the game. "So when he's not on the floor, it's just a little bit more sporadic."
Over the final three and a half minutes of the game, the Nuggets turned the ball over three times and missed all six of their field goal attempts. As a result, the Timberwolves mounted a furious comeback, outscoring Denver 15-2 in that time to secure a 119-116 win.
