Jamal Murray returning to Nuggets after missing 11 games due to hamstring strain
Denver went 6-5 without Jamal Murray after opening its title defense with a 6-1 record
The Denver Nuggets are getting Jamal Murray back.
The standout guard will make his return from a hamstring strain Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Murray ended up missing 11 games total after being ruled out at the start of the month.
The Nuggets definitely seemed to feel Murray's loss. The defending champs went 6-5 without Murray after starting the season 6-1 and fell flat in the NBA's in-season tournament, dropping out of group play with a 2-2 record.
The defending champs started veteran Reggie Jackson in Murray's place, with rookie Julian Strawther, the 2023 NBA Draft's No. 29 pick, seeing increased minutes off the bench. The adjustment worked fine at times, most notably with Jackson's 35-point outburst against his former Los Angeles Clippers team Monday, but it's hard to replace a player such as Murray.
Before his injury, Murray was averaging a career high in assists, with 7.4, and shooting a career-high 43.8% from 3-point range in seven games played. He saw his star rise higher than ever last postseason with the defending champions, averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds in 20 games.
