Uncertainty has been the feeling in Colorado of late. That is the case, at least, for the Denver Nuggets. The organization chose to move on from head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth. Amid all this turmoil, they have also needed to deal with an injury to a key star.
Jamal Murray has missed the Nuggets’ last six games due to a hamstring injury. The team has not been particularly successful without him. Denver has gone 2-4 over that stretch. Their only wins have come against the lottery-bound Utah Jazz and the struggling Sacramento Kings. The latter, however, did make them 1-0 since the debut of interim head coach David Adelman.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) before game two of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.
© Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
A win against the sub-500 Kings is only going to inspire so much confidence though. The Nuggets need a statement win against a more impressive competitor. They can get that in a pivotal game against the other team that shockingly chose to move on from their head coach late into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Memphis Grizzlies.
With only one game separating these two teams in the Western Conference standings, this matchup will be massive for both sides as the NBA Playoffs aproach.
The biggest obstacle for the Nuggets will be trying to secure that win without their star point guard. Murray, in all likelihood, will miss this contest. The high-scoring guard is listed as doubtful ahead of Friday night’s matchup due to that ailing hamstring injury.
Murray has averaged a career-high 21.6 points per game in the 2024-25 season, with shooting splits of 48-40-89, to go with 6.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. That kind of presence is tough to replace in the lineup.
There are no other major names listed on the injury report for the Nuggets, other than DaRon Holmes II, who has been out for the entire season with an Achilles injury. Tipoff is 9:00 PM ET.
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