Jamal Murray’s playing status questionable vs LA Lakers (March 2)

Jamal Murray is seen as a vital piece in the Denver Nuggets' quest to repeat as NBA champions, and his availability has been closely monitored this 2023-24 season. The team is about to face LeBron James' LA Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, and the 6-foot-4 point guard's availability is still in the air.

In the Nuggets' previous game against the Miami Heat, Murray was forced to leave the basketball court early after injuring his ankle at the 3:36 mark of the second quarter. The former Kentucky Wildcat attempted a drive and dished out to Nikola Jokic but landed awkwardly.

Murray left the game logging in only 14 minutes but provided his team with six points, three assists, two 3-pointers and one rebound.

With no reports of a major injury, the Nuggets medical staff marked Murray as questionable in this upcoming showdown against the Lakers. Should the team doctors scratch Murray right before the game, Reggie Jackson or Justin Holiday are expected to fill in the starting point guard position.

In 44 outings this season, Jamal Murray has averaged 20.5 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 3-pointers. He shoots the ball from the field at 47% and has a reliable 42% 3-point shooting. He also shoots 85.7% from the free-throw line.

Jamal Murray injury history

Denver Nuggets fans are always on the edge of their seats whenever they see Jamal Murray get hurt, even with a minor injury. This stemmed from Murray getting injured for the 2021-22 season due to a torn ACL.

His importance on the Nuggets success has been proven a season after his ACL injury as Murray helped the team win its first-ever NBA title.

Right at the beginning of the 2023-24 season, Murray is sidelined for 11 straight games starting Nov. 6 after a hamstring injury. After that, he also missed five more matchups, taking his total absences to 16.

Aside from the hamstring injury, Murray has also nursed his ankle, tibia, shin and knee, causing him to miss a few more games.

While Jamal Murray may miss the encounter with the LA Lakers as LeBron James tries to reach 40,000 career points, he has a chance to bounce back when they return at the Ball Arena in Colorado to host four consecutive home games against the Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors starting March 5.