Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray had an inconsistent shooting week that ended with an injury during the four-game road trip.
But the second-year star started strong as he led the team with 32 points in the Kings’ 131-110 routing of the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
The 32 points came on a very efficient 13-of-17 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from three — meaning he made all eight of his shots inside the arc. Murray also recorded five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal on his way to a game-high 32 plus-minus in just under 35 minutes.
His efficient shooting carried over to the second night of a back-to-back against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
Murray led the team in scoring for the second game in a row with 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from three. He also logged six rebounds, three assists, and a block in 32 minutes in the 123-98 blowout win.
The next two games — a 112-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday and a 143-142 crunchtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday — saw Murray struggle to put the ball in the basket.
The 23-year-old scored just 19 points on a combined 8-of-23 shooting from the field and 3-of-9 from three between the two contests. Being the impact player that he is, Murray also pulled in nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
However, Murray would exit Sunday’s game with right hip irritation after playing 19 minutes. The seriousness of the injury hasn’t been publicized, but it’s anticipated to be a minor setback for the young star.
Murray is averaging 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 35 games so far this season — a slight increase in statistics from his rookie year. But the true improvement is on the defensive side of the ball, where the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward has a chance to make an All-Defensive team this season.
Murray has played a key role in Sacramento’s 23-16 record — sitting fifth in the Western Conference standings.
Kris Murray
Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray appeared in all games for the week for the first time in his career — largely due to three out of the four games being blowout losses.
The rookie saw 17 minutes in the 112-84 loss against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Murray recorded nine points on 3-of-10 shooting while failing to convert any of his three attempts from deep. He also logged three rebounds, one assist, and one steal for the game.
Thursday’s 62-point road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder was the sixth-largest loss in NBA history. Murray recorded nine points, five rebounds, and one steal on 4-of-10 shooting and 1-of-5 on three-pointers in 23 minutes in the 139-77 routing.
The rookie only saw 10 minutes of playing time in Friday’s 116-93 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis. Murray scored two points on two free throws as well as an assist and a steal.
With multiple key players out due to injury, Murray logged a career-high 37 minutes in Sunday’s contest against the Phoenix Suns. He showcased his potential to be a solid role player down the road in his career, tallying 13 points, one rebound, three assists, and three steals on 5-of-9 shooting and 3-of-6 from three in the 127-116 home loss.
The rookie is averaging 3.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists on an average of 13 minutes in 23 games so far this season. Considering the Trail Blazers are a rebuilding franchise sitting 14th in the West with a 10-29 record, Murray should see more opportunity to play going forward.
Luka Garza
Minnesota Timberwolves center Luka Garza didn’t appear in any games in the NBA or the G League affiliate Iowa Wolves this week.
The third-year big is working his way back from a back injury he suffered on January 3 against the Memphis Hustle of the G League.
Garza is averaging 32.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game on 64.2/42.9/70.4 shooting splits for the Iowa Wolves — proving to be one of the best young players and showcasing his potential to be an impact player in the NBA when utilized right.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are sitting at the top of the Western conference with a 28-11 record — second-best record in the NBA behind the Boston Celtics who are 30-9.