Nuggets SG Jamal Murray will play in Game 6 vs. Suns

Update — Murray will play in Game 6 vs. the Suns on Thursday night.

Denver Nuggets SG Jamal Murray is questionable to play in Game 6 of the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs vs. the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night due to an illness. The Nuggets and Suns face off at 10 p.m. ET from Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Denver leads the best-of-7 series 3-2 with a chance to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Murray was downgraded due to the illness, which isn’t a good sign the Nuggets, who bounced back with a 118-102 win in Game 5 after dropping two games on the road. If Murray is sidelined, this will impact how we approach this game from betting and fantasy. The Suns are -3.5 on the spread on DraftKings Sportsbook. If Murray is out, Phoenix will likely gain a few points on the spread considering how both games at home have gone.

If Murray ends up missing Game 6, the Nuggets will likely have to lean more on Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. for offense. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown should play more minutes at shooting guard as a result. Murray played 37 minutes in the Game 5 win, scoring 19 points. Murray has played at least 37 minutes in every game this series and is averaging 24.6 points per contest.

In the event Murray is available, we shouldn’t expect him to be held back much given the circumstances. It’s an elimination game on the road and the Nuggets will need Murray’s scoring in order to advance. The Suns could also be without PG Chris Paul and C Deandre Ayton. Murray’s status could level the playing field a bit more.