Jamal Murray lit up the NBA world in the Bubble in 2020 and he was simply breathtaking against the Utah Jazz, in particular.
An ACL tear in 2021 meant Murray missed the postseason that year and in 2022 as well but he is finally back on the big stage and Nikola Jokic thinks his teammate is playing better now than ever before.
“I think he is playing now better than in the bubble,” Jokic said, via Ohm Youngmisuk from ESPN. “Yes, maybe he scored a lot more points in [the] bubble or whatever. But I think his energy is much better. His leadership, just being [locked] into the game is much more on a high level.”
Murray averaged 26.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 6.6 APG in that postseason run, while shooting 50.5% from the field and 45.3% from beyond the arc. He had struggled initially on his return, as you might expect after missing so much time, but has slowly but surely gotten back to his best.
In Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Murray caught fire late and helped the Nuggets keep the Twolves at bay as they won 122-113. He had 10 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 40 points on the night as they went up 2-0. The Nuggets then proceeded to win Game 3 and are in total control of the series now.
The Nuggets Have Silenced Some Of Their Critics
The Nuggets haven’t really received the respect they think they deserve, for a team that was at the top of the standings in the Western Conference for as long as they were. The concerns regarding the Nuggets also stemmed from their 12-11 record after the All-Star break and their GM Calvin Booth stated it was because of the toxic MVP debates.
With all of that behind them now, the Nuggets are focused on the things that really matter. As things stand, they look set for a clash with Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in the Conference Semifinals, and while the Suns might have been favorites in that series before the playoffs began, it may not be the case now. The Suns have struggled against the undermanned Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and the Nuggets would be quite confident of getting the better of them.
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