DENVER – Nuggets guard Jamal Murray tore the ACL in his left knee near the end of Monday night’s loss to the Warriors, the team confirmed Tuesday morning.
The Nuggets said Murray would be out indefinitely. Denver has 18 games left on the schedule and currently sits in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 34-20 schedule. The Nuggets had won eight of 10 since acquiring Aaron Gordon for Orlando late last month, with the team's eyes on a championship after falling in the Western Conference Finals last year.
Murray had 17 points Monday before he went down in the last minute of Monday night’s game. Coach Mike Malone said after the game to “keep Jamal in your thoughts and prayers.”
Murray has again been one of the Nuggets’ star players this season, averaging 21 points per game, 4.8 assists and 4 rebounds a game so far this year. He has shot 48% from the field and 41% from three-point range.
Murray was the star of last year’s bubble playoff run for the Nuggets, averaging 26.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game in 19 games.
"Can take the dog out of the fight..BUT YOU AINT EVER GON TAKE THE FIGHT OUT OF THE DOG," Murray posted on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon.
Monte Morris and Facundo Campazzo will likely step into the starting point guard role and share duties. Both have recently been playing around 20 minutes per game.
The 24-year-old had started every game he had played in so far this year and his points per game, field goal percentage and assists per game so far this season were all career highs. He had missed the four previous games before Monday night with right knee soreness.
