Skip to main content

On Tuesday evening, the Denver Nuggets are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena in Colorado for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.    

For the game, they will have their star point guard in the starting lineup, as Jamal Murray has been upgraded to available (according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post).

The former Kentucky star has been listed as questionable due to an illness for two straight games but has been upgraded to available both times. 

Via Singer: "Jamal Murray is active for tonight, I’m told."

Murray has been sensational through the first 11 games of the 2023 NBA Playoffs with averages of 25.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest while shooting 46.1% from the field and 39.5% from the three-point range. 

Last year, he missed the entire season due to injury and the Nuggets lost in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. 

This season, they are the first seed in the Western Conference and will have a legitimate chance to win the NBA Championship. 

In the first two rounds, the Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (in five games) and the Phoenix Suns (in six games).

As for the Lakers, they are the seventh seed in the Western Conference but have an extremely talented roster with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. 

They are coming off victories over the Memphis Grizzlies (who were the second seed) and Golden State Warriors (who were the defending NBA Champions) in the first two rounds. 

During the regular season, the Lakers and Nuggets faced off four times and each team went 2-2.