Nuggets' Jamal Murray: Leaves early due to ankle injury

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Nuggets head coach David Adelman said that Murray will be evaluated Tuesday after the point guard didn't play in the fourth quarter of Monday's 131-121 loss to the Mavericks after spraining his right ankle early in the third quarter, Michael Kelly of the Associated Press reports. Murray finished the game with 10 points (3-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine assists, four rebounds and one steal in 26 minutes.

Murray departed less than a minute into the third due to the injury, but after a brief visit to the locker room, he checked back into the game with 7:09 remaining in the period. He went on to play the final seven minutes of the quarter but was passive during his time on the court, as he didn't attempt a shot before sitting out the final 12 minutes entirely. Adelman relayed afterward that he's hopeful Murray will be available for Denver's next game Wednesday in Indiana, though the 28-year-old's status will hinge on what his upcoming evaluation reveals. If Murray ends up missing time, the Nuggets could have to lean more heavily on supporting players such as Spencer Jones (career-high 28 points Monday) and Peyton Watson (15 points, five rebounds, three assists and three blocks), both of whom had already picked up more minutes while replacing the injured Christian Braun (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) in the stating five. A potential Murray absence could also open up more minutes in the backcourt for Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway.