Nuggets notebook: Jamal Murray misses mark in loss to Bulls; Aaron Gordon at center; Ja Morant won't face charges in Colorado

Mar. 8—Wednesday was not the night for Jamal Murray.

The Nuggets guard started the day two 3-pointers shy of overtaking Will Barton III for the franchise record. He was feeling confident before the game, tweeting "Today's the day" with an arrow and bullseye emojis. It wasn't. Murray finished 4 of 15 from the field and made just one of his seven 3s. Nuggets coach Michael Malone hoped the impending record wasn't a source of distraction.

"I hope it's not, you know what I mean? Obviously, it's just a matter of time until he makes one more," Malone said after a 117-96 loss to Chicago.

"We believe in Jamal."

Murray didn't take a shot until the first minute of the second quarter when he hit a fadeaway jumper from 15 feet.

Malone hoped the record would happen Wednesday night so that all parties could move on, but he did not get his wish.

Murray hit his second shot, another midrange jumper, before narrowly missing his first attempt from 3 a couple of minutes later. Murray made his first 3 of the game, and 804th of his career, with 4:17 left in the second quarter. He went for the record on the next possession but missed. He had nine points on as many shots at halftime.

The next chance to break the record came late in the third quarter. Murray held his follow through and watched as his shot from the right wing came off the rim. His last attempt to break the record came with five minutes left in the fourth. But his shot was just long. Malone pulled the starters soon after. He finished with 11 points, adding six assists and two rebounds.

"Today wasn't the day, y'all," Murray posted on Twitter after the game.

Murray can break the record with one 3-pointer in Friday's game at San Antonio.

"The fact that he's about to become the all-time leading 3-point record holder speaks to his efficiency, accuracy and ability as a shooter," Malone said pregame.

Gordon open for more time at center

Aaron Gordon said selflessness is what sets this Nuggets squad apart from the previous teams he's been a part of, and he's practicing what the team preaches.

"Everybody is playing for each other. I'm not here to win a championship for myself. I'm here to win a championship for Joker. Joker's here to win a championship for Jamal," Gordon said at Wednesday's shootaround.

"I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing it for the guys around me."

That could mean some more minutes at center. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth floated it as a possibility during his media availability following the trade deadline. Nuggets coach Michael Malone experimented with it briefly when Thomas Bryant was forced out of a recent game with an ankle sprain. Gordon playing center while Nikola Jokic rests gives the second unit added speed and defensive versatility. He's open to the role and even anticipated more minutes at the five.

"Of course," Gordon answered if he's open to more minutes at center, "anything I'm asked of on this team. ... I have a feeling that we'll go to that."

No charges for Morant

The Glendale Police Department announced Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will not be charged.

Morant flashed a gun during an Instagram live video that was posted from Shotgun Willie's, a Glendale strip club. The police department said there was not enough evidence available to charge Morant with a crime.

While he won't face any legal charges, the NBA could still levy a punishment. Morant is expected to miss Memphis's next four games. The Grizzlies and Kings are tied for second in the Western Conference, seven games behind the Nuggets.

BULLS 117, NUGGETS 96

What happened: A strong start disappeared and so did Denver's win streak at Ball Arena.

The Nuggets led by as many as 10 in the first quarter but settled for a four-point lead to start the second. Chicago led late in the second quarter before buckets from Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. put Denver up 52-51 at halftime. A 36-point third quarter carried Chicago to an 11-point edge to start the fourth. The Bulls stretched the lead to 21 points in the final four minutes, ending Denver's home win streak at eight games.

What went right: The Nuggets bench seemed to find some efficiency. Thomas Bryant made 4 of 5 shots and led the reserves with 10 points. Bruce Brown also made all but one of his five shots, adding nine points, while Jeff Green made both of his 3-point attempts. The Bulls still finished with a 37-33 advantage in bench points.

What went wrong: Denver's free throws came with hidden fees. Aaron Gordon and Jokic combined to take Denver's first 13 free throws, making just five. Jokic's impressive streak of shooting 50% or better from the field also came to an end. The only other game Jokic finished under 50% from the field was the Oct. 28 win over the Jazz, Denver's sixth game of the season.

Highlight of the night: Super Mascot Rocky made his backwards shot from half court on his first attempt. That or Bruce Brown's driving dunk late in the third quarter were the most impressive efforts from the Nuggets.

Up next: The Nuggets head to San Antonio for Friday's game against the Spurs.