Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray left the staff’s 119-116 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday evening with a concussion. It is too early to take a position on a timeline, however he may face a spell on the sidelines relying on how lengthy it takes him to progress by means of the concussion protocol.
Early within the third quarter, Murray reduce to the basket off a display from Nikola Jokic, after which curled as much as the free throw line to set a again display for Aaron Gordon. Earlier than Murray may get set, although, he obtained bumped by Anthony Edwards, which brought about him to tilt ahead. In consequence, when Julius Randle tried to get by means of the display, he slammed into Murray’s head as an alternative of his chest.
Murray instantly doubled over and commenced rubbing his head. He stayed in briefly, however was then faraway from the sport and despatched to the locker room from whence he didn’t return.
Once more, it is too early to say what number of video games, if any, Murray will miss because of this incident. The impression and preliminary response actually didn’t look good, nonetheless, and the Nuggets play once more on Saturday in opposition to the Utah Jazz on the second evening of a back-to-back.
This harm continues a tough begin to the season for Murray, who didn’t appear to be his common self within the playoffs final season or the 2024 Paris Olympics earlier this summer time competing for Canada.
He entered Friday averaging 19 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on 38% area objective taking pictures by means of the Nuggets’ first 4 video games. Upon exiting in opposition to the Timberwolves he had simply six factors, two rebounds and three assists on seven photographs in 22 minutes.
Murray’s poor play is a serious motive why the Nuggets are off to a 2-3 begin this season, and wanted to scrape by in time beyond regulation in opposition to each the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors simply to get their two victories.
There are actual considerations about whether or not Murray can nonetheless be an elite No. 2 possibility alongside Jokic, however he is at the least somebody that opponents need to respect. The identical can’t be mentioned for a lot of the Nuggets’ supporting forged, which has actually struggled.
Coming into Friday, the Nuggets’ bench was averaging simply 22.5 factors per recreation, which ranked twenty eighth within the league. After dropping quite a lot of key position gamers in recent times, Denver has tried to piece collectively a bench with a mixture of veterans (Russell Westbrook, Dario Saric) and kids (Peyton Watson, Hunter Tyson, Julian Strawther), but it surely merely hasn’t labored.
Murray probably being pressured to overlook vital time would current an enormous downside for the Nuggets, who’re already falling off the tempo in a crowded Western Convention.
