A trip to the Western Conference Finals will be on the line tonight for the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, with superstar Nikola Jokic and company sporting a 3-2 lead over the Phoenix Suns heading into Game 6 on the road.
Although the Nuggets have proven to be the better all-around team in this series, with the consensus being that it’s only a matter of time before they advance, Denver was hit hard ahead of Thursday’s game in Phoenix with a non-COVID illness spreading around the team.
According to Tim MacMahon and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is now listed as questionable for tonight’s game, while head coach Michael Malone is also feeling under the weather.
Jamal Murray did not participate in shootaround. Nuggets will see how he feels later today for Game 6 and are hopeful. There’s a bug going through the Nuggets and a handful of players and Michael Malone have felt under the weather recently. They cut shootaround short this morning https://t.co/pOgSXOibEy
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 11, 2023
Without Murray in Game 6, the Nuggets will suffer a massive blow in the backcourt, as he’s arguably the second-best player for Denver and crucial to the team’s success, especially against an opponent that’s missing Chris Paul.
Fortunately for the Nuggets, this team is competent without Murray leading the way in the backcourt, which means his absence might not necessarily be a death blow to the team’s chances of advancing tonight on the road.
If Murray is stuck on the bench in street clothes on Thursday night, the team will likely turn to Bruce Bowen to shoulder the load at the point guard position.
Bowen has played well against the Suns in this series and might be able to help the team get over the hump without Murray tonight if the star point guard is forced to sit.
NEXT: Nikola Jokic Made NBA History Again On Tuesday