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Jamal Murray injury timeline: How Nuggets guard went from ACL tear to NBA champion

Scott Rafferty

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Jamal Murray injury timeline: How Nuggets guard went from ACL tear to NBA champion image

The Nuggets looked every bit of a contender in the 2020-21 season. Then, Jamal Murray got injured.

Not long after the Nuggets traded for Aaron Gordon to gear themselves up for a deep playoff run, Murray suffered a knee injury that kept them out of the title race in both 2021 and 2022. With Murray back to full strength, the Nuggets went on the run they once seemed destined for, defeating the Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals to record their first championship in franchise history.

Here's how Murray went from tearing his ACL to an NBA champion within two years.

MORE: Yes, Jamal Murray is officially a superstar. Here's why

Jamal Murray injury timeline: How Nuggets guard went from ACL tear to NBA champion

April 12, 2021: Murray returns to Denver's lineup after missing four straight games with knee soreness.

In the closing minute of the game, Murray suffers a knee injury on a drive to the basket. He falls to the ground following a layup attempt and is in clear pain, immediately grabbing his left knee.

Murray exits the game and does not return.

April 13, 2021: The Nuggets announce that Murray has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee and will be sidelined indefinitely.

April 21, 2021: The Nuggets announce that Murray has undergone surgical reconstruction of the ACL at California's Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute. Head coach Michael Malone provides more details about the injury, telling the media it was a "clean tear."

Murray shares a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Instagram.

June 13, 2021: Without Murray, Denver's season comes to an end with a Game 4 loss to Phoenix in the Western Conference Semifinals.

October 20, 2021: Six months after undergoing surgery, Murray shares a video of himself dunking off of two feet.

April 9, 2022: The Athletic's Shams Charania reports that Murray will not play in Denver's 2021-22 regular-season finale. While he's said to be progressing well, Charania adds that Murray is unlikely to return during the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

April 13, 2022: Nuggets president Tim Connelly doesn't rule out a potential return for Murray and says it's up to him when he plays.

"I wouldn't be surprised at all," Connelly said of a possible Murray return. "When Jamal feels like he is ready, he is going to sprint out there. He's in the red zone of return to play. It's totally up to him. Once we give him certain assurances that he looks good physically — we've told him throughout the entire process, 'You pass these certain lines and it's on you to tell us when you're ready to get back out there.'"

Connelly's comments come days after Malone says Murray still has a "real big mental hurdle to make."

April 19: 2022: Murray appears to address why he has not returned despite being physically cleared to play.

April 27, 2022: The Warriors defeat the Nuggets in Game 5 to knock them out of the playoffs in the first round.

Murray misses all 82 regular season games and all five postseason games as he continues to work his way back from his ACL tear.

September 27, 2022: Murray provides an update on his injury ahead of the 2022-23 season.

“I feel rejuvenated in a way,” he said. “ … First day of school vibes but it’s my seventh year doing it. I’m getting up there. It’s a lot of fun. I’m just happy to be on the court and back in the mix, not over there somewhere rehabbing, running around. I’m just happy to be finding my routine again.”

October 3, 2022: Murray makes his return from injury in a preseason game against the Thunder. He scores 10 points in 15 minutes.

October 19, 2022: Murray plays in his first regular season game since his ACL injury. In 26 minutes, he scores 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting from the field in a blowout loss to the Jazz.

''I was shaking off the rust obviously," Murry said after the game. "I got some great looks, rushed into them hoping just to get a little rhythm."

October 22, 2022: Murray plays his first regular season game in Denver since returning from injury.

February 4, 2023: Murray leads the Nuggets to a blowout victory over the Hawks with a season-best 41 points. It marks his third straight game scoring 30 points or more, tied for the longest such streak of his career. 

“An aggressive Jamal, a confident Jamal, is a scary Jamal,” Malone said after the game.

March 9, 2023: Denver defeats Sacramento in its final game of the 2022-23 regular season.

Murray finishes the season averaging 20.0 points, 6.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds on .454/.398/.833 shooting splits over 65 games.

April 19, 2023: Murray scores a team-best 40 points in Denver's Game 2 win over Minnesota.

May 18, 2023: Murray scores 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Lakers in Game 2 and take a 2-0 series lead. It's the fifth time he's scored 20 points or more in a quarter in the playoffs, tying him with Stephen Curry for the most since 1997.

May 22, 2023: The Nuggets defeat the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. Not only does Murray score 25 points in the win, but he makes a big defensive play on LeBron James on the final possession of the game.

June 7, 2023: Murray and Nikola Jokic become the first teammates in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double in the same game, leading the Nuggets to a road win over the Heat to take a 2-1 lead and regain homecourt advantage.

June 9, 2023: Murray dishes out 12 assists in Denver's Game 4 win over Miami to take a 3-1 series lead. He becomes the first player in NBA history with 10 or more assists in his first four career Finals games.

June 12, 2023: The Nuggets win their first championship in franchise history, defeating the Heat in five games.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.