Jamal Murray has been listed as questionable on the Nuggets’ injury reports lately, but that’s evidently more of a long-term assessment than an immediate one.
Murray will “hopefully” be available for the start of the NBA playoffs if Denver makes it that far, coach Michael Malone said Sunday afternoon before the Nuggets hosted the Pacers.
“Jamal’s hurt. It’s not careful. He’s hurt,” Malone said when asked how careful the team is being with Murray by withholding him from games. “So there’s a big difference. Careful is if a guy can play and you want to be smart. We’re not in a situation to do that. There are six teams vying for four (playoff) spots. So if Jamal Murray is not out there, it’s not careful. It’s because he literally just is not able to play at the moment.”
Murray missed his fifth consecutive game on Sunday with an injury described by the team as right hamstring inflammation. He has played 65 of Denver’s 78 games this season, averaging a career-high 21.6 points on 47.6% shooting (39.6% from 3-point range).
The 28-year-old point guard played through injuries during the playoffs and Olympics last year.
“Hopefully he’s able to be back by (the playoffs),” Malone said. “This has been a weird one. It was day-to-day, day-to-day, and then next thing you know, it’s not day-to-day.”
In Murray’s absence, the Nuggets have used backup point guards Russell Westbrook and Jalen Pickett in the rotation while also starting Christian Braun at the one in some games. As they tipped off against Indiana, they were both one game back of third place in the West and one game ahead of eighth place.
“If Jamal is unable to go, we need other guys to step up and play hard and play desperate and play urgent,” Malone said. “Because I don’t know if we’re getting that from everybody right now.”
