This is as bad as it gets for the Denver Nuggets. Amid their performance issues, the Mile-High city takes a huge blow as Jamal Murray rushed to the locker room early in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 27-year-old continued his off-season form, going 2-7 FG up until the first few minutes of the third quarter. When everyone expected the star to find his rhythm late in the game, an unfortunate collision ruled him out of the game.

Around the 9th-minute mark, Julius Randle slammed his shoulder mistakenly on Murray’s face during his defensive play, leaving the guard unsettled. The hard collision left the star shaken up for the next few minutes, struggling to play. And he headed to the locker room after the Nuggets took the timeout. The latest update from the center revealed that Jamal Murray won’t return to the floor due to concussion protocol.

It’s important to address that Julius Randle is one of the strongest players in the league. It’s quite a blow that Jamal Murray took! The star’s absence seems to have affected Denver at the end. After holding a 10-point lead with 4 minutes remaining in the game, the Nuggets blew the game.

Moreover, the team still had a chance in the final play where they had to sink a three-pointer with 9 seconds left on the clock to tie the game. Bubble Murray has proven his clutch play multiple times in the past, especially with the buzzer-beater winners. So, in the guard’s absence, Nikola Jokić had to do the job himself. The big man went up against Rudy Gobert and failed to take the team across and suffered a 116-119 loss.

When will Jamal Murray return?

The league has tightened up the concussion rules. Much like every other sports league across the globe. Once the player is diagnosed with a concussion, the team’s medical staff must have a close watch on the player. Most importantly, the player won’t be allowed to perform any physical or cognitive without the staff’s direction.

The league concussion policy directs that the players, “should consider limiting his use of electronic games and devices, be educated by a member of the team’s medical staff about the need for appropriate sleep, nutrition, and hydration, and limit his exposure to large groups of people until he is cleared by a member of the team’s medical staff to do so.” It will extend up to 48 hours from the time of impact.

Next up, the Nuggets face the Utah Jazz tomorrow. Looking at the concussion rules, Murray might not lace up for the game. On the other hand, the team trusted the guard and signed a four-year extension for $208 million despite the star’s poor Paris Olympics run. And Murray hasn’t brought his best to the court yet. Do you think Jamal Murray will help Nikola Jokić & Co. make another run at the championship? Let us know in the comments.