On Sunday, the resurgent Golden State Warriors will face one of their toughest tests when they travel to Colorado to take on the defending champions Denver Nuggets. The Warriors have won nine of their last 11 games and have closed the gap on the teams above them in the standings. The Nuggets were in a mini-slump and had lost three straight, but have recorded two wins in their last two outings.
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While Denver is involved in a tight four-way battle for the #1 seed in the West, the Warriors are 10th and are trying to climb into the playoff spots. Neither team can afford to lose ground on the teams around them. The Warriors will be at almost full strength, with only veteran point guard Chris Paul a confirmed absentee. The Nuggets’ injury list is slightly more concerning, as star guard Jamal Murray is on it and is listed as ‘questionable’ for the game on Sunday. So, while there is a chance that Murray is forced to sit this game out, he is likely to play during this stellar matchup.
Murray has missed two of the Nuggets’ last three games with tibia inflammation. The veteran guard has missed 16 games this season but had played 28 straight games before missing his team’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on Valentine’s Day. He returned for their win over the Washington Wizards but sat out of their last game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
A tibia inflammation is cured with rest, and having sat out of the last game, Jamal Murray will likely play against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
Jamal Murray’s incredible playoff proficiency
Jamal Murray is having a solid season with the Nuggets, averaging 20.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds. While those numbers are good, they aren’t All-Star caliber. Murray has never averaged more than 21.2 points in the regular season and is content with playing second-fiddle to his teammates.
However, Murray is a different beast during the playoffs. In his three playoff runs, he has averaged 21.3, 26.5, and 26.1 points. In 451 regular season games, Murray has 42 games with over 30 points, an average of less than one every ten games. However, in 53 playoff appearances, the Nuggets guard has 16 games with over 30 points, an average of almost one in every three games.
The Nuggets have no problem with Murray’s decent production in the regular season. The team knows they can bank on their forward to up the ante in the playoffs and turn into a prolific, All-NBA caliber scorer. The formula led them to their maiden NBA title last season. The Nuggets will be banking on Murray to repeat his playoff heroics this year and help them repeat as champions.
