Jamal Murray left Friday night’s nuggets vs knicks matchup in Denver before halftime after injuring his left ankle, hobbling off with 1: 05 left in the half (ET). The All-Star guard went to the locker room after contact in the lane with OG Anunoby and stepping on Nikola Jokic’s right foot. The team later listed the injury as a left ankle sprain and labeled him questionable to return.
Nuggets Vs Knicks: The play and immediate game impact
The injury occurred when Murray drove into the lane, took contact from OG Anunoby and stepped back onto teammate Nikola Jokic’s right foot, then fell while grabbing his left ankle. Jonas Valanciunas assisted Murray hobbling off the court toward the locker room, grimacing as he left with 1: 05 remaining in the first half (ET). During the stoppage, Knicks coach Mike Brown challenged the call on the court; the challenge succeeded, the play was assessed as a blocking foul on Anunoby, and Anunoby converted both free throws to extend the Knicks’ lead to 65-42 at halftime.
Injury status, official update and lineup shift
The club issued an injury update listing Jamal Murray as questionable to return with a left ankle sprain. Before exiting, Murray had played 18 minutes, scoring 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting with one rebound and three assists. With Murray out, the team announced a second-half starting change, putting Julian Strawther into the lineup for the restart of the game.
Quick context: timing for the team
This exit came on the night the original starting lineup had been reunited for the first time since November 12, with Aaron Gordon returning from a hamstring issue and Cam Johnson back from a sprained right ankle. Murray was selected as an All-Star this season for the first time in his nine-year career, and the injury adds a fresh concern to a team managing multiple recent returns and recoveries.
What happens next
The immediate next steps are medical evaluation and monitoring; the club has listed Murray as questionable to return and will determine his next availability after further assessment. The bench will be prepared to cover Murray’s minutes while the team reviews imaging and updates his status. Expect an updated official injury report and possible further lineup adjustments before the next horn, with the situation tracked closely through the remainder of the night and in follow-up updates (ET). The nuggets vs knicks game now shifts into damage-control mode for Denver while staff evaluate Murray’s left ankle and plan next steps.
