Last night, the NBA world witnessed a teaser of one of the Christmas Day games. It was a one-sided affair between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. The Valley side visited the Ball Arena and stood no chance against Nikola Jokić & Co. Despite the obliteration from the Nuggets’ fold, both teams had something in common in the last game. Both teams ruled out their ace starting guards, Jamal Murray and Devin Booker. Will the stars return to the X-Mas Day matchup? Let’s find out.

On Monday night, Murray’s absence didn’t really have any impact on the game, as Coach Michael Malone replaced his spot with the former MVP, Russell Westbrook. It did the trick and the Mile-High City went on to record a 117-90 win.

Murray missed out on the game, suffering from an ankle injury. A report revealed that the star rolled his ankle during the overtime win over the Pelicans on Sunday. Most importantly, the same report also stated that the medical team also worked overtime to make him available for the Monday night game. Unfortunately, he wasn’t 100% fit before the tip-off.

So, there are chances for Jamal Murray to be available for the Wednesday night rematch. But that isn’t the case. As per ESPN, the team has listed him in the Questionable category, citing the ankle issue. So, we may not see him lace up for the game. Apart from him, the team has two other players on the report:

• Vlatko Cancar (Out) – Knee
• DaRon Holmes II (Out)

On the other hand, the Suns also have a nagging issue ahead of the challenge. The team has ruled out Devin Booker, citing his groin injury. So, fans will witness an exact rematch, but the only difference is that the Phoenix side will play on its home court. Will that play a role? Only time will tell.

Jamal Murray & Co: Starting Lineup and Depth Chart

In the previous outing, the Nuggets didn’t do anything spectacular. In fact, the Joker didn’t score anything closer to a triple-double. They just stuck to the basics and played the offense surrounding the big man. On the defensive end, the team didn’t let the Suns get easy buckets and restricted them to under 100 points.

Most importantly, it’s safe to say that the Suns brought the loss upon themselves. They showcased a subpar effort on both ends of the court. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal barely received offensive support from the rest of the team. Meanwhile, the defense unit failed to capitalize on Jokic-less minutes on the court and let the Nuggets carry the momentum for a longer duration.

KD, speaking of the loss, said, “We’re all frustrated. Feel like we can play way better. Feel like we’ve been playing in spurts, but not consistently.” Can we expect a bounce back from the Slim Reaper and his men? Let us know in the comments.