MINNEAPOLIS — Clearly affected by a right elbow injury suffered early in Thursday night’s game, Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray said he hopes it will improve by Sunday’s Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Murray hurt the elbow when he ran into a Rudy Gobert screen and shot just 4-for-18, finishing with 10 points in a 115-70 blowout to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.
With two days off before Game 7, Murray said he was uncertain if his elbow would feel better by then.
“I hope, for our team’s sake,” Murray said. “I hope I can get it right.”
Murray missed nine of his first 10 shots. He was asked if the elbow loosened up and felt better as the game went on.
“Clearly it did not,” Murray said with a laugh. “I put some numbing cream on it just so I didn’t have to feel it every time it extended. But everybody gets hurt.
“So it was the fact that I was shooting the ball. That’s what I do most. So I was never really getting into my rhythm again. And my team obviously needed me to tonight, and I didn’t. So I’m disappointed in myself for not being able to give them the right production that I know I can.”
Murray has been banged up this postseason. He already is dealing with a left calf strain that he suffered in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nuggets need Murray to be at his best in Game 7. He is averaging 19.7 points on 50% shooting, including 42% on 3-pointers, in Denver’s three wins this series. In the three losses, Murray is averaging 11.7 points and 26% shooting.
“We got two days off,” Murray said. “I just got to get ready and be able to be better for Sunday. Yeah, [it’s got] to be better for Sunday, man.”