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The Best of the Day: April 13th, 2021
See the best of the day in sports from April 13, 2021 including Murray's devastating injury and its impact, Tatum's big game vs. POR, and more!
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The ‘Best of the Day’ is a daily PSO original series showcasing the most significant stories, highlights, and facts going on in the land of the NFL, NBA, & MLB every day. Get a recap on EVERYTHING that happened on 4/13 here.
The NBA world was saddened by the announcement that Denver’s Jamal Murray will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a non-contact torn ACL on Monday. The news is particularly awful for the Nuggets, who were playing their best basketball of the season, and considering it happened so late, the injury could very likely impact next season as well. Also, another posterizing dunk occurred in Charlotte, Jayson Tatum’s big game fueled Boston’s road win over Portland, and PSO evaluates Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley’s NFL outlook as the upcoming NFL Draft looms.
Here is the best of the day from April 13, 2021:
Jamal Murray has officially been ruled out for the year with a torn ACL
Nuggets G Jamal Murray will be out indefinitely after suffering a torn ACL in Denver’s loss to Golden State on Monday night. This is a devastating blow to a Nuggets team with championship aspirations that is looking to return to the conference finals and beyond after their surprising run in the bubble.
Breaking: Jamal Murray has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 13, 2021
He will be out indefinitely, the Nuggets announced. pic.twitter.com/gTVLPNmYAt
Murray spearheaded last years’ run, helping Denver overcome two 3-1 series deficits, the first time ever that a team has accomplished that feat twice in a single postseason. He out-dueled Utah Jazz G Donovan Mitchell in a legendary first round series that saw each player go for 50 points twice, before helping lead Denver to an upset over the Clippers after Los Angeles imploded.
Against all odds and facing elimination in three-straight games, the Nuggets, led by Murray and Nikola Jokic, kept their composure despite trailing by as many as 16, 19, and 12 points in each game, respectively. Unfortunately, Denver couldn’t recapture the magic in the conference finals, falling to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in a hard-fought five games series.
Murray was unbelievable in the bubble, shattering all expectations and making a name for himself. In 19 games, he averaged 26.5 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting a blistering 45.3 percent from 3 and 50.5 percent from the field. While he hadn’t quite matched those levels this season before getting hurt, the five-year pro was still in the midst of his best season yet. His absence will be extremely difficult for the Nuggets to overcome, particularly in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference.
Jamal Murray was having a career year this season.
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 13, 2021
21.2 PPG
4.8 APG
1.3 SPG
2.7 3PG
47.7 FG%
40.8 3P%
55.9 eFG%
59.2 TS%
Injuries suck. pic.twitter.com/nQFx5JtlHr
Related: Stories of the Day
EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF JAMAL MURRAY’S SEASON-ENDING TORN ACL
The Denver Nuggets’ star Guard Jamal Murray suffered a season-ending knee injury when he tore his ACL against Golden State on Monday night. Murray was in the midst of the best campaign of his career, averaging career-highs in PTS (21.2), FG% (47.7%), 3P% (40.8%), FGM (7.9), FGA (16.5), 3PM (2.7), 3PA (6.6), FTA (3.2), and STL (1.3) this season after completely breaking out in the Orlando bubble with some memorable performances. Now he’ll miss an extended period of time, while an injury of this magnitude not only impacts the Nuggets but a variety of teams across the league.
1. Denver Nuggets 2021 playoff chances have decreased infinitely
Without Murray in the lineup for the remainder of the year, Denver’s playoff chances are looking extremely bleak. In a tough Western Conference, it will now be a serious struggle to even escape the first round with an upcoming matchup likely against the loaded Lakers, Clippers, or Blazers.
Denver still has their MVP in Nikola Jokic as well as a strong supporting cast with Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Will Barton, but Jamal Murray‘s impact at the end of close games is irreplaceable and will be awfully missed during those tense postseason matchups where the Kentucky hooper has proven to elevate his game time and time again.
2. The wild, wild West is now down to 4 legitimate contenders
With Denver not looking like a legit conference contender anymore, it benefits the other teams in the conversation. The squad who draws Denver in the first round will be playing a much less fierce roster than they previously thought. Currently, this would be the Lakers. Additionally, teams like Utah, Portland, and LAC would avoid a potential first or second-round matchup with Denver, giving them better odds to make the Finals as well, considering DEN was the hottest team in the league since acquiring Aaron Gordon.
3. This injury not only impacts this season but next year as well
Not only does Murray’s injury hurt Denver this season, but it is likely that he will miss most of the 2021-22 season too. This means that Denver could begin the season without those 20+ points per game and the winning plays that Murray brings to the table nightly. If they are unable to crawl back to a top spot in the West, it is likely they will be due for an unfavorable matchup against a top team in the first round, and it’s rare to even see a player return to form just one year after his recovery, so Denver likely won’t be a realistic title contender again until the 2023 postseason at the earliest.
COLORS KEY | FULL NUGGETS OUTLOOK
Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day
Another body has been caught in Buzz City
CALEB MARTIN POSTER 📸 pic.twitter.com/vOayzIzq2V
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 14, 2021
Related: NBA Highlights
F Jayson Tatum, BOS (W @POR): 34 PTS (10-17 FG | 4-7 3P), 5 AST, 9 REB, 1 BLK, 1 STL, 3 TO
#PlayerOfTheDay (4/13/21) - F Jayson Tatum, BOS
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 14, 2021
TOP FACTS:
- Joins Paul Pierce as only 23 y/o Celtics w/ 30+ 30pt GP
- Boston on 4-game win streak; Won 6 of last 7
- Last week's Eastern Conference Player of the Week
KEY STATS:
34 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST, 10-17 FG (61%), 4-7 3P (57%) https://t.co/q2BxB8V5nc
Related: Players of the Day
Boston Celtics (116) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (115)
[Highlights] CELTICS (-105) d. @BLAZERS (-115) 116-115 [BOS +1 | o229.5]
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PSO Scouting Report: CB Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech) by Ricky Eisenbart
PSO breaks down Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley’s future outlook and how his game will translate to the next level
Caleb Farley's NFL Scouting Report:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 14, 2021
Physical Tools: A
Game Film: A-
Production: ??
Risk: ??
Overall: ??
FULL evaluation: https://t.co/mCw1wbWMJy
Related: Latest PSO Posts
DATE: April 13, 2016
SIGNIFICANCE: 2015-16 Warriors earned their 73rd regular season win, breaking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ all-time record
April 13, 2016: Golden State Warriors finished the regular season with a record of 73-9, surpassing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' record for the most single-season wins in NBA history (72-10)
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 13, 2021
pic.twitter.com/HSr9STCu7f
Related: Significant Sports History
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