One of the biggest storylines for the past month or so of Denver Nuggets basketball has been the health of Jamal Murray. After a mostly healthy season, he first sprained his ankle against the Knicks on March 21st, leaving the game in the fourth quarter. He missed several games before a knee injury was also added to the injury report.
Murray missed multiple weeks, but ultimately returned on April 6th getting in five regular season tune-ups before entering the playoffs seemingly healthy again. But then in game four of their first-round series against the Lakers, Murray strained his calf. He didn’t look right the rest of the game and was said to be a true game-time call for game five.
Now, obviously, Murray did play in game five and played great, including hitting the game (and series)-winning shot in the final seconds. But Murray was questionable to play again in game one against the Timberwolves, and while he did ultimately play, he didn’t look like himself for much of the game.
The Nuggets are going to need much more out of Murray, and from most of the supporting cast - to be fair - but without Jamal up to his usual standards alongside the Joker, this is going to be a very tough series for the Nuggets to win. But will Murray even be in action?
Nuggets injury report
For the third straight game, Jamal Murray is listed as questionable with his calf strain. There was little doubt around his status for game one after he dominated the Lakers, but he looked much worse on Saturday.
Jamal Murray today on his calf: "It's going to be a part of it. I've accepted that. There are counters for everything, so I've just got to keep adjusting. We've got to keep adjusting and find ways to get it done. The calf is whatever it is." pic.twitter.com/K2uLkvwDl7
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) May 5, 2024
It’s hard to imagine sitting out is a real option for Murray, after he insisted to the training staff upon playing against the Lakers, but if he’s not helping the team, the extra rest may become the better option. The only other Nugget on the injury report is Vlatko Cancar who is out for the season with a knee injury.
Timberwolves injury report
Wolves fans get to see one of the most beautiful sights in sports; a totally clean injury report. The whole squad is good to go.
Betting odds
The Nuggets are 5.5-point favorites at home in Ball Arena and the game has a total of 205.5 points.