Nuggets’ Jamal Murray Could Miss Time With Ankle Injury

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told NBA reporters that star point guard Jamal Murray could miss time due to an ankle injury. 

Murray is dealing with a left ankle sprain. 

#Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he hopes Jamal Murray’s ankle injury is a short-term absence but could be longer.

— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) March 24, 2024

Murray didn’t play on Saturday (3/23) against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Nuggets, who also played without superstar center Nikola Jokic, beat the Blazers by a final score of 114-111 to improve to 50-21 on the season. 

Murray is averaging 20.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists this season while shooting 47.5% from the field, 41.9% from beyond the arc and 85.5% from the free-throw line. The Kentucky product has 11 double-doubles in 54 games. 

During a February interview with NBA reporter Sam Amick of The Athletic, Murray was asked about never making an All-Star team during his career. While Murray said he would love to be an All-Star, the 27-year-old knows he’s an All-Star in the playoffs. 

“Obviously, I would love to be an All-Star,” Murray said. “I’d love to get that kind of recognition. But I think when you win in the playoffs, you win on the biggest stages you play and show yourself on the biggest stages and you prove yourself against those so-called All-Stars, (then it’s) whatever. 

“I’m an All-Star when you need the All-Star to show up — in the playoffs. You want the best to step up (then), right? And I think I do a good job of that. So I kind of backed myself up in that way. That’s it. That’s what it is. So it’s just more fuel to the fire.”

The Nuggets won the championship last season against the Miami Heat in five games. Murray averaged 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 10.0 assists in the Finals. 

“But (not being selected an All-Star) doesn’t hurt me like that, psychologically,” Murray said. “I haven’t made it for so long, and I’m a champion. And I’m on the best team in the world playing with the best player in the world.”