All eyes were on the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, not only because their game in Sacramento was on ESPN. It was the team's first game since head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth were dismissed.
Denver lost four straight games entering the matchup against the Kings. The losing streak started with a 140-139 overtime loss to the Timberwolves. Nikola Jokic's historic 61-point triple-double wasn't enough for Denver. Little did everyone know that the losing streak would lead to the Kroenke family deciding to move on from Malone and Booth with three regular-season games remaining.
David Adelman, who has been with the organization since 2017, is the Nuggets' interim head coach. He guided Denver to its first win in nearly two weeks against Sacramento. It was a full-circle moment, considering Adelman's father, Rick, spent eight years as the Kings' head coach from 1998-2006.
The 124-116 win kept the Nuggets in fourth place in the West, but they're still at risk of falling into the Play-In Tournament. Denver has two games left on its regular-season schedule: Friday in Denver against Memphis and Sunday in Houston.
Winning both and ending the regular season on a three-game winning streak would do wonders for the Nuggets. The good news is that they should get Jamal Murray back on Friday.
Jamal Murray will 'likely' return for Nuggets on Friday
The Athletic reported on Thursday (subscription required) that Murray is "likely to return from his six-game absence (hamstring injury) on Friday at Memphis."
Malone's comments about Murray last weekend made it sound like there was a chance the guard might not return before the end of the regular season. The former head coach said Murray was no longer considered day-to-day.
Murray wasn't at his best last postseason because of a nagging ankle injury. He's critical to what the Nuggets hope to accomplish this season -- another deep playoff run. It's a great sign that he's in a position to return before the end of the regular season, not only because he could help Denver stay away from Play-In territory. It'll be good for Murray to get his legs under him before the postseason.
Hopefully, Murray will indeed be able to play against the Grizzlies. Memphis has won three straight since losing its first three games after the Taylor Jenkins firing. The Grizzlies are clinging onto the No. 6 seed in the West, so they'll be playing for their lives (as will the Nuggets).