Michael Malone on Jamal Murray in Dallas: “He’s not 100% healthy”

DALLAS — When Jamal Murray went to the bench with 6:38 left in the third quarter Sunday, the Nuggets lost to the Mavericks by 12 points. They lost his minutes by 29.

Individually, Murray had five points, no assists and a turnover on 2-of-7 shooting. His defense was no better.

As he took a breather, an important game further spiraled out of control. Denver trailed by 18 when he returned three minutes later. But he returned with renewed ability, and perhaps just as importantly, renewed authority.

The Nuggets outscored Dallas by 24 when Murray was on the floor for the final 16 minutes of regulation in a crazy 112-101 win — the latest example of his uncanny knack for sudden redemption at seemingly the lowest moments.

The turnaround almost didn’t happen this time.

“I’m just going to defend him for a second. Because he’s not 100 percent,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after the win at American Airlines Center. “I thought about shutting him down at halftime. Because I watch him out there and I know that’s not the Jamal Murray that (I see) when he’s playing healthy. It wasn’t him, if that makes sense.”

Malone kept his uncertainty to himself until after the game, and Murray scored 12 of Denver’s points during a critical 25-6 run that took place over eight minutes between the third and fourth quarters. The star guard buried a stepback 17-footer while fouled to tie the game with 7:54 left. His free throw gave the Nuggets the lead.

He played through left knee soreness that had caused him to be pulled from the previous game at halftime.

Malone went to Murray after the game Sunday and told him about almost shutting him down, Murray told The Denver Post. The 27-year-old guard said he is “good enough to be out there.”

“It’s been a tough round,” he said. “So I’m just trying to be here for my team, give them what I’ve got and not complain.”

Murray’s injury history includes bumps and bruises on nearly every muscle and bone in both of his legs. But the Nuggets are always on high alert when he feels pain in his left knee. It was the left ACL that he tore in April 2021, causing him to miss the next season and two playoff runs.

“It’s unfortunate. With his injury, and the previous injury, it’s just something that’s going to come up every once in a while,” Malone said before Sunday’s game. “And obviously this month of January, as we all know, is a very close match schedule. … So we just have to continue to talk to Jamal, talk to the training staff to see how he’s doing.”

Murray has missed just six games this season in the first 38, but the absence was caused by three separate injuries: a concussion, an aggravated hamstring and a sprained ankle. In the games he has played, he is averaging a career-high 35.9 minutes, four more than last season.

His November was worryingly ineffective. December was encouraging. January has been unpredictable. After struggling in both games of a back-to-back against the Spurs, Murray led Denver to an impressive victory without Nikola Jokic last week, tallying 21 points and nine assists. In his last 15 games, he is 42% from the 3-point line.

But he continues to run hot and cold.

He was to blame for the Nuggets’ predicament on Sunday. He was also responsible for their revival.

Their ability to mount dramatic comebacks this season is becoming an eerie echo of Murray’s individual play. Last month, he was the catalyst behind a late 10-point rally in Sacramento, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter after 13 in the first three.