Lakers Injury Report: Nuggets Star Questionable for Game 5

A lucky break for LA?

Dec 22, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic grabs a rebound as Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell Pope look on. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Will the Purple and Gold be able to capitalize on some injury luck in their ongoing 2-7 first round Western Conference playoff matchup against the Denver Nuggets?

Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, star Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray has strained his left calf, and is merely considered questionable to suit up for tonight's Game 5 in Denver. The Nuggets lead Los Angeles 3-1 in the series, and had run off to a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 start (no team in NBA history has ever rallied from that big a deficit).

The 6'4" Kentucky product is Denver's second-most important player, beyond mega-star center Nikola Jokic, who's likely to win his third MVP in four seasons at some point this postseason. Murray's passing and clutch shooting have been an imperative release valve for the team's offense, giving it a dimensionality it would lack of only Jokic quarterbacked the club's attack.

Across four games in the series thus far, Murray's averaging 21.5 points on a patchy slash line of .380/.208/.846, 7.3 assists, five rebounds and 1.3 blocks a night, across 39.5 minutes per bout.

Losing Murray at this juncture in the series, with Los Angeles gaining momentum after a commanding Game 4 victory, would be a pretty destablizing moment. His backup, Reggie Jackson, also has an injury, as he's dealing with a left ankle sprain, but Jackson is at least considered probable to suit up.

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