The Nuggets are missing Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for tonight’s matchup with the Lakers, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Both players also sat out Monday’s win at Golden State.
Jokic has a left ankle impingement as well as a contusion on his right elbow. Murray is dealing with a sprained right ankle and had difficulty moving during a session with assistant coach John Beckett more than two hours before the game, according to MacMahon.
During a pre-game meeting with the media before the final determinations were made, coach Michael Malone said, “you listen to your body,” adding that he trusts the players and training staff to make the right decisions. He reacted angrily to a suggestion that the Nuggets are intentionally resting their best players.
“I think that’s just a bunch of bulls—,” Malone said. “I mean, in the last 10 years, Nikola Jokic has played the second most games in the NBA. Ten years. And the guys in that top 10, none of them are superstars. So if Nikola is not playing, it’s not because he’s sitting. It’s not because he needs rest. It’s because he’s hurt and he’s trying to play through things that most wouldn’t. We’re at a point right now where we have to do what’s best for not just Nikola, but for all our guys, as we move forward and try to close out this season.”
There’s more injury news to pass along:
- Lakers forward Rui Hachimura is sitting out his eighth straight game tonight due to tendinopathy in his left knee, but coach J.J. Redick said he’s making progress and is considered day-to-day, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Hachimura has been taking part in three-on-three games and participated in warm-ups before tonight’s contest.
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey, who had been sidelined since March 10 with a sprained right ankle, is making his return in tonight’s game at Phoenix. Coach Billy Donovan plans to give Giddey his normal workload of 30-32 minutes and said he may play again Thursday at Sacramento, tweets K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network.
- Lonzo Ball didn’t accompany the Bulls on their six-game road trip, but he has started shooting with his injured wrist, Johnson adds (Twitter link). Donovan said Ball, who sprained the wrist in late February, still has a long road toward recovery.
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson remains on a minutes restriction after returning last month from ankle surgery, but coach Tom Thibodeau views it as more of a guideline than a definite policy, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Thibodeau said the limit is around 24 minutes, which is what Robinson played Monday night, but he’s willing to extend it depending on how his center feels.