Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray returned to the court against the Atalanta Hawks Saturday night after missing seven games with a strained right knee.
Murray only saw the court for 21 minutes and recorded 16 points, six assists, and three rebounds to help the Nuggets propel to a 142-110 victory over the Hawks. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic messed around and scored 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists to capture his 25th triple-double of the season, helping to plead his case for the Kia 2024 NBA MVP.
Another game, another triple-double 🃏 pic.twitter.com/wRmUaiYIUP
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 7, 2024
With the Nuggets' victory over Atlanta, Denver reclaims the sole possession of the No. 1 seed in the West, which would secure them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs if their position holds to the end of the regular season.
Jokic and Murray sat the entire fourth quarter to avoid injury in a blowout victory. Murray’s return to the lineup is a blessing for Denver, as the regular season ends on April 14, and the playoffs begin on April 20. Murray will have under two weeks to prepare to make a run for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
