Did Jamal Murray look off to you against the Clippers in Game 2? A step slower and not as sharp as usual, perhaps? Well, you’re not imagining things. Something is seriously wrong within the Denver Nuggets organization. And thanks to interim coach David Adelman, we finally know why. And spoiler alert, it has the potential to bring their postseason to an early end.
After winning the first game in their Playoffs series against the Clippers in overtime, the Nuggets dropped the ball in game 2. And according to Adelman, a sickness that’s going around the Nuggets organization is why. “A lot of people were hit all the way through the front office all the way down,” Adelman shared. But the interim HC made it a point to note it wasn’t an excuse for not playing well.
“We have plenty of medical people to get us going, so hopefully it doesn’t spread. Hopefully, somebody doesn’t wake up tomorrow not feeling well, but it did hit a few people. It had nothing to do with the game or the outcome. It’s just what happened,” he further explained.
And Murray? It looks like he got the brunt of it.
“Jamal was [sick], but he showed up. I didn’t know if he was able to play. He was very sick. But you know how he is. He got hydrated. They put all the meds in him, whatever they did, I don’t know. But he was able to play 40+ minutes, feeling not so well. So he looked better today. You know how it is. Like, every day, you feel a little bit better. Obviously, get a good night’s sleep tonight, have all day tomorrow, get ready to go tomorrow,” said Adelman about the bout of illness that Murray went through during Game 2.
David Adelman says a lot of people have been sick (from front office to coaching staff to locker room) and was surprised Jamal Murray played in Game 2.
“He was very sick…looked better today.” pic.twitter.com/PDSlvEVT3P
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 23, 2025
Now it’s not clear exactly what illness is going around the Nuggets. But it does explain why Murray was caught wearing a full-sleeve undershirt beneath his jersey in Game 2. But none of this seemed to hamper Murray’s game at all. He was the Nuggets’ second-highest scorer, dropping 23 points in Game 2 against the Clippers. So Adelman probably won’t sweat his illness too much.
Moreover, it seems as though Nikola Jokic may have contracted this illness. Sure, he dropped yet another triple-double in Game 2, which bodes well for the Nuggets as Murray recovers. However, according to Rachel Strand of Clutch Points, “Jokic even let out a very hearty cough before starting his presser. He sounded a bit hoarse as well.”
On a different note, Murray, despite maintaining that the illness didn’t affect his performance, he was still critical of his and his team’s Game 2 showing. And he knows how to fix it and gain an edge in this series, something he revealed at the post-game press conference.
Jamal Murray reflects on playing through illness and the LA Clippers Playoff series
“I’m sick, but it’s okay. No excuses, I played through it,” said Jamal Murray about playing through an illness in Game 2 against the Clippers. It’s clear that Jamal wants no sympathy or pity. And it was also apparent that he didn’t want to dwell on it too much. But his team’s performance against the Clippers? Now, he had some thoughts about that.
A reporter asked the Canadian guard about the missed opportunities in their recent game. And Jamal pounced on the question, agreeing with the reporter’s assessment of the situation. “Just exactly that. I feel like when we got a stop, we just had a couple missed opportunities, even when I almost turned over,” he explained.
He added, “I think AG [Aaron Gordon] missed the dunk because he was looking at the shot clock. Got a stop. When I turned over, like, those ones really hurt. And I think I had a turnover somewhere in there. We just gotta take care of the ball, especially when we get a stop. Can’t get right back. But we definitely had a chance to win the game.”
But it wasn’t just Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon who only had 5 turnovers between the two of them that gave the ball away.
Mar 23, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) controls the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic had an uncharacteristic 7 turnovers in this game. The Nuggets as a whole had 20, as many as the Clippers did in the first game of this series. So while they did a good job of getting stops, giving the ball away right after didn’t help the Nuggets at all. But Murray knows things need to change in the next game when the Nuggets head to LA.
“We gotta go to LA with an attack mindset and get one of these games,” said Jamal. However, with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden finding their feet as a duo, beating the Clippers at home will be a tough ask for the 2023 NBA champions. However, if any team can do it, it’s the one with the ‘Joker’ and Murray on it. All in all, both teams will have everything to play for come game time in LA. And whoever wins it may just claim the series.
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