Jamal Murray
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Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets was finally named as an All-Star this season.
The Denver Nuggets shared an important update regarding Jamal Murray ahead of their game against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Nuggets are back at home in Ball Arena after a tough three-game road trip.
It has been a tough season for the Nuggets in terms of injuries, but they still managed to stay afloat in a loaded Western Conference. Murray carried the team in January after Nikola Jokic went down with a knee injury.
The Nuggets are sitting fourth in the standings at 36-22, but the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers are hot on their tail. They are heading for a tough stretch that includes 12 games against winning teams in their next 15.
Some of the teams on their schedule are the Celtics, Timberwolves, Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors.
Murray’s Injury Status vs. Celtics
The Nuggets announced their injury report for the Celtics game on Tuesday night. Jamal Murray was listed as probable due to right hamstring tightness, which he has been dealing with for the past few games.
Despite the injury, Murray has not missed a game since January 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s likely getting upgraded to available before tip-off and will start the contest as usual.
Julian Strawther is also listed as probable because of a sprained left big toe. He’s also expected to get upgraded since he has played every game since returning to the rotation on January 23.
The rest of the team’s injury report featured Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon and Jalen Pickett. All three players are listed as out, and they have no timetable for a return. Watson and Gordon are dealing with a strained right hamstring, while Pickett is nursing a minor right knee injury.
Nikola Jokic Playing Through Injury
ESPN’s Marc J. Spears speculated that Nikola Jokic is playing through some kind of injury that has affected his shot over the past few games. The Nuggets went 1-2 in their recent three-game road trip, losing to the Los Angeles Clippers and the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors.
“Certainly not quite himself, but if he misses a couple more games, he’s not going to be available for awards,” Spears said. “They’ve got other injuries like Aaron Gordon, who they hope to have back this weekend.”
David Decker of NuggLove on FanSided laughed at Spears’ notion about Jokic’s injury and eligibility for awards. Decker pointed to The Joker’s recent comments about wanting to win a championship this season, not the MVP.
He also brought up Bennett Durando’s report for The Denver Post about Jokic playing through wrist pain in the past six seasons.
Update on Major Nuggets Injuries
It seems like the Nuggets have nothing to worry about Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Coach David Adelman was feeling confident about his team finally turning the corner regarding injuries. Adelman expects to have a full, healthy squad for the final stretch of the regular season.
“My hope is that we get the full group back with 20 games to go,” Adelman said on Tuesday.
The coach added that Aaron Gordon is now considered day-to-day, but he didn’t provide a clearer update on Peyton Watson.