Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray suffered a sprained right ankle early in the third quarter during Monday night's 131-121 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Murray missed the final 12 minutes of the game after briefly returning from the locker room. The team will evaluate him on Tuesday.
The injury occurred during the Nuggets' fourth consecutive home loss. Murray, who entered the game averaging a career-high 24 points, finished with 10 points and nine assists before exiting. He walked gingerly to the locker room early in the third quarter, returned to close out the period, but did not play further.
Nuggets coach David Adelman addressed the impact, stating, “It’s a huge absence, obviously, offensively. Jamal’s such a tough player. If he sits himself because of the pain, it probably hurts. I’m hoping he can come back (for the next game).” Adelman added that the team has enough players to improve defensively despite absences, saying, “I’m not going to come in here any night and sit down and talk about guys that are out. We have enough here to be more consistent defensively.”
Spencer Jones stepped up with a career-high 28 points for Denver but noted the challenge without Murray's partnership with Nikola Jokic. “It definitely was a hit, especially coming down the stretch,” Jones said. “Everybody knows the deadly pick-and-roll of Mal and (Nikola Jokic). We definitely struggled.”
Murray's history includes a torn left ACL late in the 2020-21 season. He averaged 26.1 points and 7.1 assists in the 2023 postseason, helping Denver win its first NBA championship.
The injury adds to Denver's woes, with starters Aaron Gordon sidelined by a right hamstring injury from November 21, expected back late December or early January, and Christian Braun out at least six weeks with a left ankle sprain from November 12. Both are key defenders whose absences have affected the team.