After a four-game road trip, the Denver Nuggets are back in town! Tonight they’ll kick start a five-game homestand against the red-hot Chicago Bulls team. Denver comes into this matchup with a win against a solid Houston team snapping their two-game skid. Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray was the star on the night dropping a stellar 39-point performance. Just in his second game back from an injury, the 28-year-old proved to be a difference-maker for his team! Murray missed two consecutive games due to an ankle injury but hit the ground running on Sunday.
However, that doesn’t mean that Denver was at their full strength. The Nuggets were shorthanded against the Rockets, missing none other than Nikola Jokic! His continuous absence remains a massive cause of concern for the Nuggets as they inch closer to the playoffs with every game. Moreover, they’ll require his help to get past this Bulls side led by an in-form Josh Giddey. However, there remains a big question mark over Nikola Jokic’s fitness and also concerns if Jamal Murray is fit enough to play back-to-back games. So, will this duo suit up against Chicago?
Denver Nuggets injury report ahead of Chicago Bulls showdown
The Denver Nuggets are starting a five-game homestand tonight and they wouldn’t want to start on the wrong foot. To get past a solid Bulls team, they’ll need to perform well at the Ball Arena and it’s hard to do that without two of their key players— Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. So, fans are eager to know the status of the Nuggets superstars before the tip-off in Denver. Will Nikola Jokic start? Unfortunately, no. The Joker is once again on the team’s injury report and will miss a fifth consecutive game raising a lot of eyebrows in the process. The big man has been suffering from a left ankle impingement and it seems the Nuggets are taking no risk with their franchise player.
Jokic even hates to sit out back-to-back games, let alone sit for five consecutive games. That’s the scary part of this situation as the playoffs are approaching and not a single Denver player would want him to miss postseason basketball. Needless to say, the Denver superstar has been phenomenal this season averaging a triple-double every game! The 30-year-old is averaging 29.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game, that’s some MVP-level stuff. While he won’t play tonight, there still has been a positive update on the big man. Nuggets HC Michael Malone has stated that he will return to the hardwood at some point during the team’s five-game home stand.
Mar 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks to pass the ball in the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
That should allow the Denver faithful to take a sigh of relief. To top off this great news, their starting point guard, Jamal Murray is also set to play back-to-back games tonight. Murray has been struggling with an ankle injury that prevented him from playing a couple of games recently. However, that seems to be done and dusted now. The 28-year-old has been solid for the Nuggets averaging 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and six assists per game. While his stats speak volumes, Murray brings much more to the table. He’s a great leader and his presence will massively boost Denver’s winning chances tonight.
However, not all is good for the Nuggets! That’s because they are still without their talented guard, Julian Strawther. The 24-year-old was amidst a great campaign averaging 9.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and shooting 43.4 percent from the field. It was before Strawther suffered an unfortunate and untimely knee injury. Due to the injury, the 22-year-old guard will miss at least four weeks of action before he is re-evaluated. Lastly, center DaRon Holmes II joins Strawther on the bench. Holmes II is suffering from an Achilles injury and has started to participate in portions of practice but is far away from fully recovering. Amid all these injuries Denver’s boss Michael Malone will have to find a way to navigate against Chicago tonight. But, how will he do so?
How can the Denver Nuggets start amid their injury problems?
Nikola Jokić is out once again and Denver also misses rotational players Julian Strawther and DaRon Holmes II. This means that Michael Malone will have to make some tweaks to his starting five against the Bulls to grab a win tonight. Having Jamal Murray will massively help Malone and the Nuggets’ cause. Moreover, the team now also has the likes of Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon back providing the team a helping hand. Meanwhile, Zeke Nnaji will have to step up big time in Jokic’s absence.
Here’s how the Nuggets can lineup:
Position
Starter
PG
Jamal Murray
SG
Christian Braun
SF
Michael Porter Jr.
PF
Aaron Gordon
C
Zeke Nnaji
Overall, this could end up being a pretty good game. The Bulls are in great form and Josh Giddey is doing a great job of leading them. However, Denver is also recovering after being hard hit by injuries in recent weeks. Even though they will not have Nikola Jokić, they’ve got plenty of firepower in their ranks to ensure a win tonight. So, the game could go either way. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top at the Ball Arena tonight.
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