Nuggets' Murray exits game, in concussion protocol

MINNEAPOLIS — Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol after exiting Friday’s 119-116 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter.

Murray was cutting through the lane with Anthony Edwards guarding him, when Julius Randle backed up to chase Aaron Gordon and inadvertently banged his shoulder into Murray’s nose.

Murray’s head jerked back into Edwards from the impact, and he doubled over in pain while the play continued before subbing out four possessions later during a timeout and heading to the locker room for further examination.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone did not have an update on Murray after the game.

“It definitely was a significant hit,” Malone said. “Obviously, we’ll always prioritize his health and safety and make sure he’s in a good place. If he’s not able to play [Saturday], we’ll hope to get him back as soon as possible, but I just don’t want to speculate because I really don’t know the details.”

Murray had six points on 2-of-7 shooting in 22 minutes.

That continued a relatively slow start to the season for Murray, who signed a four-year, $208 million maximum contract extension in September. He averaged 18.8 points on 37.9% shooting in the Nuggets’ first four games entering Friday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.