In the Western Conference playoff bracket, the Denver Nuggets are proving why they must be taken seriously as a title contender. Besides the impact of star center and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets also have 6’4″ point guard Jamal Murray, who seems to always elevate his game for the playoffs.
Tonight, Murray once again came through for the Nuggets, helping them secure a critical win in Game 1 (116-105). Against a stacked Timberwolves team that’s beaten them once already, he never showed fear as he attacked the defense again and again. Once it was over, the NBA champion took a minute to reflect on why these high-stakes battles bring out his best.
“The first game, everybody’s got so much adrenaline,” Murray said, via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “Everybody’s excited. Everybody’s a little bit nervous. Some butterflies, which are human. I go back, and I look at all the Game 1s that I’ve played, and I just remember having so much energy. I remember we played the San Antonio Spurs one year. I got a steal on the first play of the game, and I pulled up from the logo. I was like, ‘I’m just so excited.'”
“So, I just found over the years, just being able to relax and just play another game and knowing that I’m going to play most of the game. I’m not going to have to look or hunt shots; the game’s just going to come to me. So, it’s a different mindset. I think that allows me to make every free throw or just play at my pace.”
Murray, 29, was the leading scorer for the Nuggets today, en route to their 116-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 39 minutes on the floor, he finished with 30 points, five rebounds, seven assists, zero steals, and zero blocks on 31.8% shooting and a whopping 0-8 shooting from three. Despite poor efficiency, Murray maintained steady aggression throughout the night, consistently seizing opportunities to take the offense into his own hands.
“He was 0-for-8 from 3. That’s not going to happen [often],” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “He knows the rhythm he’s been in. But Jamal has been Jamal all year, just tough-minded. He’s got a lot of responsibilities with a lot of different people guarding him that are high-level defenders, who had a hold of his jersey throughout the night. So, [Jaden] McDaniels, he works hard. Anthony Edwards is on him. [Ayo] Dosunmu, I mean, this is a challenge. So, I just thought mentally, he fought through it, and there were timely shots that he made.”
Of course, not everyone appreciated how Murray got those 30 points. He scored only 7 field goals (14 points), meaning the rest came from the free-throw line. In total, he went 16-16 at the charity stripe, drawing some criticism after the game from Timberwolves coach Chris Finch.
Nevertheless, Murray did exactly what he needed tonight, and then some. He’s one of the few players in the league who elevates his game when the stakes are highest, and it’s why the Nuggets are always a looming title threat. With averages of 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in the regular season, we already know how effective Murray’s game is. Now that the playoffs have begun, however, we can expect even more from him as the Nuggets look to advance to round two.
