Jamal Murray remains sidelined with a right hamstring injury, and while initially labeled day-to-day, his return is now uncertain as the Nuggets hope he'll be ready for the playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets are in the middle of a rough patch, having dropped four games in a row. Nikola Jokic is doing everything he can to keep the team afloat, but the absence of co-star Jamal Murray is proving costly.
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Minnesota Timberwolves
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Golden State Warriors
Indiana Pacers
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Houston RocketsMurray, who last played on March 26 against Milwaukee, has been sidelined with a right hamstring injury — one that now appears to be more serious than initially expected.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said the hope is for Murray to return in time for the first game of the playoffs — a significant shift from the original day-to-day status.
"Hopefully, he's able to be back by the playoffs," Malone said. "This has been a weird one. It was day-to-day, day-to-day, and then next thing you know, it's not day-to-day."
Malone emphasized that Murray isn't being held out for precautionary reasons — he's genuinely injured.
"Jamal's hurt. It's not 'careful.' He's hurt," the coach explained. "So there's a big difference. 'Careful' is if a guy can play, and you want to be smart. We're not in a situation to do that. There are six teams vying for four [playoff] spots. So if Jamal Murray is not out there, it's not 'careful.' It's because he literally just is not able to play at the moment."
Murray has been a crucial second option next to Jokic this season, averaging 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 39.6% from deep.
Denver, currently the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a 47–32 record, has three games remaining in the regular season — against Sacramento, Memphis, and Houston.
