Just when the Denver Nuggets roster was looking to get back to its best shape, the team has been hit with another injury scare. Jamal Murray, the Nuggets guard who has been on a rampage for the team alongside their superstar Nikola Jokic, was forced to leave the court early on Friday during the New York Knicks game.

The incident occurred in the second quarter of the game when the score read 63-52 in favor of the Knicks. OG Anunoby was driving towards the basket when he crashed into Murray, who crumbled to the ground after hitting Jokic’s foot. The Nuggets guard reportedly rolled his ankle during the play and had to be carried to the locker room immediately.

Jolan Valaniciunas was one of the players who accompanied him to the locker room following the injury. “Status alert: Jamal Murray (ankle) helped to the locker room Friday,” a post on X read.

Before he left the court, Jamal Murray had racked up formidable numbers. In the 18 minutes he logged in, Murray scored 12 points and dished out 3 assists for his team. Bruce Brown was subbed in for Murray, who has been decent in the minutes he has gotten so far in the season, but the Nuggets were immensely missing the x-factor that Murray brought to the table.

The Denver guard couldn’t return to the game for the entire night. Subsequently, Denver faced a 142-103 blowout, despite Jokic’s 38 points. Murray’s absence was evident in the final two quarters, as the team combined for just 51 points compared to the Knicks’ 77. Cold shooting at times and frequent turnovers plagued the Nuggets’ game.

But it wasn’t even the loss that the Nuggets will be wary of. The severity of the injury to Murray’s left ankle remains unknown. There haven’t been any reports regarding the same from the franchise or the player. If the injury proves long-term, it can severely hamper the Nuggets’ short-term ceiling this season, given Murray ranks second only to Jokic in points and assists.

The Denver Nuggets are already missing Peyton Watson due to a right hamstring strain. On top of that, Murray’s scare just ahead of the crucial OKC Thunder game in the business end of the season has left Jokic and the rest of the squad in a worrying situation.

A Season of Nagging Injuries for Jamal Murray

Despite the recent scare, Murray has been a consistent presence for the Denver Nuggets this season. The 6’4 guard has started 58 games of the 64 the Nuggets have played this season. However, his campaign has still been interrupted by brief injuries and health concerns at different points throughout the year.

For instance, last month, Murray left the court early against the Boston Celtics due to illness. Initially, the Denver guard was listed as questionable for the game, but played after heavy medication. As per reports, the symptoms were too much for him to handle. “He looked awful. They gave him all the medication. It did not help. All kinds of bodily things were happening,” head coach David Adelman said.

This isn’t the first time Murray has dealt with significant injuries. He suffered a torn left ACL late in the 2020-21 season during a game against the Golden State Warriors, forcing him to miss the remainder of that campaign as well as the entire 2021-22 season.

But since his return to the squad, Murray has turned the tables in his favor. The Denver guard has consistently scored 20+ points per game throughout the season, including the 2022-23 season, when the Nuggets became champions. Additionally, Murray was having a career year in this season, averaging a career-high 25.7 points per game.

As fate would have it, the injury on Friday night can again sideline him for a few weeks. But for now, we’ll have to play the waiting game on any update regarding the seriousness of Murray’s injury.