Jamal Murray is OUT for the rest of the Denver Nuggets game tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves after sustaining a head injury.
During the early third quarter, Murray collided with Timberwolves power forward Julius Randle while setting a back screen. Murray’s face made direct contact with Randle’s shoulder as he moved back into Murray, and the Nuggets point guard held his head for a few possessions before exiting the game.
Upon leaving, Murray entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and was labeled OUT for the rest of the game.
Jamal Murray is out for the remainder of this game in concussion protocol
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) November 2, 2024
Russell Westbrook is the Nuggets backup point guard and will likely be tasked with a larger role. Ditto for Julian Strawther, who immediately replaced Murray in a lineup with the starting unit in a point guard-less lineup. Strawther has ball handling capabilities and the spacing that Murray provides, but the chemistry with such a group will be interesting to monitor.
There’s also Trey Alexander to consider, the Nuggets rookie guard on a two-way contract. Jalen Pickett just went down to the G League, so Alexander is really the only other reserve guard that can consistently handle the ball. Expect him to get some run soon.