Jamal Murray kept it simple when asked about the similarities between his game-winner to seal the Nuggets 108-106 win over the Lakers in Game 5 and the buzzer-beater he hit against the Lakers in Game 2 to cap off a 20-point comeback.
“Game 2 I went right. Game 5 I went left.”
"Game 2 I went right. Game 5 I went left." 🤣🗣️
Jamal Murray on his two-game winners against the Lakers 🔥 pic.twitter.com/X0113i7uxn
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 30, 2024
Murray had a game-winning performance against the Lakers in Game 5, putting up 32 points as the Nuggets leading scorer. He scored 12 points in the fourth quarter alone, matching every Laker bucket up until the game-winner he hit with less than four seconds on the clock as the Lakers were without timeouts.
The Game 2 buzzer-beating game-winner is arguably one of the best shots in recent history, as Murray hit an incredible jumper over Anthony Davis with the clock running out to seal a Nuggets win and cap off a 20-point comeback.
Murray was incredible throughout this series, putting up 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists over the course of five games. He was almost ruled out for this Game 5 matchup, but he pushed through and was the difference-maker.
Now he has five days to recover before the Nuggets host the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the second round.
Michael Malone Showered Jamal Murray With Praise
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone saw Jamal Murray ice two games with incredible shot-making that no coach could scheme for. He gave his point guard his flowers after the win, saying he didn’t call a timeout at that moment because he knew Jamal would ice the game.
“The utmost confidence, that’s why I didn’t call a timeout. We let the best two-man game in the business play their game and get to their spots. For Jamal to add to his playoff lore by having two game-winners in a series, it’s just incredible. The conversation before the game, without getting into too much detail, was an emotional one, about him playing tonight.”
Malone said that Murray told him that he thinks the Nuggets would lose if he didn’t power through his injury and play tonight, prompting the coach to agree in emphatic fashion.
“As he just told me, ‘I don’t think we win if I don’t play tonight.’ I said, ‘Well, that’s the understatement of the year!’ The kid is a warrior man, I can’t say enough good things about Jamal Murray. The bigger the moment, the kid just continues to shine. I’m proud of him, one tough cookie.”
Malone on the final Murray shot and the most remarkable Jokic stat of all time@AltitudeSR
Full presser coming ! pic.twitter.com/QCIcbaZzjk
— Darren McKee (@DMacSportsCO) April 30, 2024
Malone and Murray share a very strong bond, especially because Malone ensured Murray wasn’t traded away during his near two-year injury layoff. The coach backed his point guard and they were rewarded with a title last season. They’re hoping to defend their crown and have successfully passed the first hurdle in that process.
Making it past the Timberwolves won’t be as straightforward, as they’re designed to limit the Nuggets with their size and defensive prowess. It’ll be an incredible series where Murray will be expected to continue making tough shots against the team that ranked as the best defense in the NBA over the regular season.
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