“I was trying to shoot myself into rhythm. It’s been six games. That’s enough to take you out of your rhythm a little bit,” said Jamal Murray in the aftermath of the Denver Nuggets’ win against the Memphis Grizzlies yesterday. It’s tough for a player to return to his groove after missing a major portion of games. However, to do so during the last stretch of the regular season puts some added pressure on the athlete. Fortunately, Murray was able to step up against the Grizzlies. The question now is whether he can do it against the Houston Rockets in the Nuggets’ last regular season game of the year.
We don’t know, but the player will at least get a chance to prove himself. According to the Denver Nuggets Injury Report, as highlighted by them on X, Jamal Murray is listed as ‘Probable’ for the upcoming Houston Rockets matchup tomorrow! There is only one player named ‘OUT’ on the list: DaRon Holmes II. This means that the renowned point guard will certainly be present in the upcoming game. Furthermore, his positive status indicates that if nothing goes wrong in the upcoming matchup, Murray will be healthy enough to give his best in the playoffs, too.
Injury Report ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Rockets:
PROBABLE:
Jamal Murray (Right Hamstring Inflammation)
OUT:
DaRon Holmes II (Right Achilles Tendon Repair)#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/oNBRg6mvw3
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 12, 2025
Jamal Murray sustained a right hamstring inflammation after the Nuggets’ 127-117 win against the Milwaukee Bucks last month. The injury was initially diagnosed as a tightness. The player was only listed as ‘Questionable’ for the next game against the Utah Jazz. Soon, it was turned into a game-time decision, and the player was eventually declared ‘OUT’. While he returned to practice sessions after the Jazz game, Murray still missed 5 additional games before finally returning in the recent Nuggets-Grizzlies matchup. Murray dropped 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists during the game. While the points marked his 2nd lowest score over the last 6 games, it indicated that the player was back to being efficient on the court.
Since being acquired by the Denver Nuggets as the 22nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, DaRon Holmes II has yet to play a game for the team. This is because the player has been recovering since July 2024. He underwent surgery to repair his right Achilles tendon after suffering an injury in the Nuggets’ NBA 2K25 Summer League opener. Back in late February 2025, then-Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said that Holmes was able to participate in portions of Wednesday’s practice, indicating his rehab process in preparing himself for the next NBA season.
Mar 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) gestures in the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Meanwhile, Tomer Azarly reports that the Houston Rockets are expected to play all their guys tomorrow vs. the Nuggets. In fact, Jae’Sean Tate will be the only player ‘OUT,’ as he continues to recover from his right ankle soreness. This is a major improvement for the team, as they had 7 players listed during the previous Rockets-Lakers game.
In light of this, no major changes will have to be made to either team’s starting lineups.
What will the starting lineup and depth chart for Jamal Murray’s team, the Nuggets vs. the Rockets game, look like?
Having Jamal Murray for the upcoming game would be quite beneficial. After all, he has averaged 21.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. The player faced limitations after returning from the six-game absence. He played 5.9 fewer minutes than what he averaged back in March. Therefore, something of that nature can be expected for the next game, too. In light of this, Russell Westbrook and Jalen Pickett can again be depended upon more when playing against the Rockets.
In light of this, the starting lineup for the Denver Nuggets is expected to look like this:
POSITION
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
5TH
PG
Jamal Murray
Russell Westbrook
Jalen Pickett
Trey Alexander
Christian Braun
SG
Christian Braun
Jalen Pickett
Julian Strawther
Jamal Murray
Trey Alexander
SF
Michael Porter Jr.
Christian Braun
Peyton Watson
Julian Strawther
Hunter Tyson
PF
Aaron Gordon
Peyton Watson
Vlatko Cancar
Zeke Nnaji
Michael Porter Jr.
C
Nikola Jokic
Zeke Nnaji
DeAndre Jordan
Peyton Watson
Aaron Gordon
Jae’Sean Tate had only been averaging 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this season. Therefore, his absence won’t impact the Rockets by much. Fred VanVleet is not presumed to be absent for the upcoming game. However, Aaron Holiday and Reed Sheppard will have to take up additional responsibilities in the backcourt if he remains absent. Same goes for Alperen Sengun, who will have Steven Adams and Jock Landale to cover for him.
In light of this, the starting lineup for the Houston Rockets is expected to look like this:
POSITION
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
5TH
PG
Fred VanVleet
Amen Thompson
Aaron Holiday
Reed Sheppard
Jalen Green
SG
Jalen Green
Dillon Brooks
Reed Sheppard
Aaron Holiday
Cam Whitmore
SF
Amen Thompson
Tari Eason
Dillon Brooks
Cam Whitmore
Jae’Sean Tate
PF
Dillon Brooks
Jabari Smith Jr.
Tari Eason
Jeff Green
Jae’Sean Tate
C
Alperen Sengun
Steven Adams
Jock Landale
Jabari Smith Jr.
Jeff Green
The Denver Nuggets or the Houston Rockets? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming game? Let us know in the comments section down below.
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