Nobody thought much of Jamal Murray getting a well-deserved night off on Friday after a long road trip for the Nuggets. The team got thumped by the Hawks, but most assumed that with the extra rest, Jamal would be good to go on Sunday. But he was downgraded to questionable and ultimately ruled out before tip-off at home against hte Bucks.
But fear not, apparently, Murray is just battling an illness that has been making its way through the Nuggets’ locker room. So, while it’s frustrating to go another game without Murray, it’s comforting to know that he’s not dealing with anything major and that his ankle is no real concern at this point.
It’s good news, especially for someone like Murray, who has succumbed to injuries often in the past. This year, he came into camp in great shape and is having by far his best regular season, with his durability being a major part of that.
So, it’s important not to overwork Jamal and to keep him fresh as the Nuggets are going to lead him to be at his best if they hope to make serious noise in the playoffs. Between how well Jamal has been playing and how banged up the rest of the team has been, the temptation is there to keep stacking more onto Murray’s plate, but it’s important to resist the urge.
Nuggets up against it without top scorers
The challenge for Denver in the short term will be finding scoring without Murray and Jokic. They played well for three quarters on Friday night, but the Hawks took over in the fourth, holding Denver to just 12 points.
Peyton Watson has been steady recently, but he needs some help. Aaron Gordon is still making his way back, but maybe he can take on more offensively. But some other guys are going to have to step up and score some points. We’ve seen it from guys like Tim Hardaway Jr., Spencer Jones, Jalen Pickett, and others recently, and that’s exactly what it’s going to take.
Otherwise, it’s going to be a tough night for the Nuggets, as they welcome a hungry Bucks team that recently got Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the lineup. They need wins badly as they’re currently sitting in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, outside of the play-in picture. Make no mistake, the Nuggets are going to have their hands full. Let’s see these guys step up and rise to the challenge.