Jamal Murray was in the zone Monday night against OKC for the second game of a mini playoff-like 2-game series against the NBA’s top team. Having lost quite convincingly on Sunday to a score of 127-103, it had seemed that MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) had complete control of the Nuggets defense.
While dropping 40 points on Sunday and going 15-32 from the floor, SGA was in fine form on both ends. The great Nikola Jokic was held to only 24 points. Murray had defensive specialist and fellow Canadian countryman Luguentz Dort in his face for the duration of the Thunder’s dominant win. Murray was held to just 17, well below his season average.
Yesterday, however, Murray adjusted, and Dort appeared unable to contain him. Playing one-second shy of 40 minutes on the floor, Murray seemed confident and entirely in the zone. Dropping 34 points, going 11-22 on the floor, and joining Russell Westbrook in contributing three-pointers at key moments.
In last night’s statement-making win in OKC, there were times when the Thunder, led by SGA and Dort, appeared to be coming back, attempting to sweep the mini-series with profound playoff implications for the Nuggets. With the Lakers breathing down their necks in the standings, Denver, with a superior effort from Murray and Jokic’s typical brilliance, was able to secure the win.
Jamal Murray has a reputation in NBA circles as being clutch in crucial moments. Denver fans and basketball enthusiasts everywhere might recall his incredible duel with Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz in the 2020 “Bubble”. That was when he dropped 50 on back-to-back nights. Murray was on fire during that series, shooting over 50% from the floor and hitting three-pointers at a rate of 45.3%.
Since then, glory and triumph came to Denver, with the Nuggets claiming their first NBA title in 2023. It seems, from a media standpoint, however, that the Nuggets still have to fight for acknowledgment and respect. They might still be viewed as a one-man team, virtually living and dying in accordance with whatever Jokic can accomplish on any given night. It is and always has been Murray’s clutch performances that put this Denver Nuggets team over the top, to a point where words like “dominance” or even “dynasty” begin to appear in certain contexts.
Of course, the Nuggets are at their best when the working/playing relationship with Murray, and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is symmetric and sound. That was absolutely the case last night, as “the Joker” found Murray in what often seemed like the most impossible of places, with Dort seemingly glued to Murray’s jersey at times.
Jokic’s passing ability is absolutely paramount to Murray’s success. Murray plays off the ball exceptionally well, which creates openings for Jokic to find him. It is a tandem that, when on, is unlike any other in the NBA. Provided both Nugget superstars are healthy, which seems to be the case at the moment, Denver is, once again, a serious title contender.
Throughout various stages of the 2024/25 NBA season, Murray has been absent, figuratively and literally. Lately, though, he has elevated his game on both ends of the floor. He appears disciplined and more engaged as a defender, and of course, offensively, he can get into a zone of determination and focus as few others can.
The real Jamal Murray seems to have returned at the right time. Nuggets fans should continue to expect a deep run in this year’s playoffs. If he stays healthy, there is a strong chance that Murray, along with Jokic, will be hoisting the Larry O’Brien once again.
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