It’s looking like the Denver Nuggets will have some health on their side in their home matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, but particularly when it comes to star guard Jamal Murray, who’s trending towards playing after being listed questionable leading up to tip-off.

According to AltitudeTV‘s Vic Lombardi, each of Murray (knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. (knee), and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) are all gearing up to play vs. the Lakers, all three of which had been dealing with their respective lingering injuries before tip-off.

As a result, the Nuggets will have two of their regular five starters out on the floor, and get Gordon back in the rotation after a one-game absence.

The Nuggets will still be dealing with the absences of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun, and offseason acquisition Cam Johnson. However, having two of their typical starters in the mix is a welcomed breath of fresh air for a Denver team that’s faced numerous injury struggles in the first half of this season.

Nuggets Slated to Have Jamal Murray Active vs. Lakers

The biggest news for the Nuggets rotation, though, is that Murray will be healthy and in the mix against the Lakers after being listed as probable with an left knee inflammation before the game, now hoping to continue a dominant start to the new year and cementing his status as a first-time All-Star selection following a career-best first half of the season.

In 39 games, Murray has averaged a career-high of 25.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while shooting an extremely efficient 49.0% from the field and 44.7% from three, also being a key reason for the Nuggets’ ability to remain steady in the Western Conference while down multiple key pieces of their starting lineup and rotation altogether.

Having Gordon healthy against the Nuggets also comes as a quality asset to have for the night, considering he can bring quality versatility on the wing, while also allowing Denver to be a bit more well-rounded defensively, as they currently rank within the bottom six of the NBA for defensive rating (118.2).

Gordon has been active for the Nuggets in seven of their last ten games, but had sat out in their latest game against the Charlotte Hornets—an outing where they were blown out 87-110 on their home floor. 

In his seven appearances since returning from his hamstring strain, he’s averaged 16.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in just over 27 minutes a night; very similar numbers to what he had seen prior to being sidelined for multiple weeks.

As for Hardaway Jr., he’s been active in all but one of the Nuggets’ games this season, and now appears to be leaning towards playing against Los Angeles after having previously deemed it probable with a minor ankle injury. Having him on the floor will provide some quality depth on the wing and a bit of scoring upside to bank on in the second unit.

During his 42 games played for the Nuggets this season, Hardaway Jr.’s surprisingly been one of the better bench contributors in the entire league, averaging 14.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 41.2% from three, having nine games on the season with 20 points or more.

Of course, no Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets still makes things a steeper climb than they’d usually end up being, but Murray being healthy against a Luka and LeBron-led Lakers group at least gives Denver a puncher’s chance to win their fifth game in six tries.

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