Jamal Murray’s Playoff Heroics Propel Nuggets Over Clippers
DENVER — Jamal Murray has been a thorn in the side of the Los Angeles Lakers during past playoffs, and now he’s turned his attention to the LA Clippers. In a dazzling display of shotmaking, Murray led the Denver Nuggets to a commanding 131-115 victory over the Clippers in Game 5 of their first-round series at Ball Arena on Tuesday night.
Murray was nothing short of spectacular, scoring a game-high 43 points on 17-of-26 shooting. This marked his sixth career playoff game with 40 or more points, helping Denver take a 3-2 series lead. The series now shifts to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Thursday evening.
His performance was highlighted by eight 3-pointers, marking his third playoff game with eight 3s. This achievement places him fifth in NBA postseason history, trailing only Klay Thompson (six games) and tied with Damian Lillard, Ray Allen, and Stephen Curry (four games each).
“These big moments, these situations. He was born for this,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “You can kind of tell the way the ball comes off his hand on certain nights. I thought he had a great lift on his jump shot. …When it’s flowing like that, it’s the guy that’s won us so many playoff games in the past.”
Despite entering the playoffs with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for six games, Murray has found his rhythm just as the Nuggets are rediscovering their championship form. This resurgence comes after the surprising firings of longtime head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with only three games left in the regular season.
“This is really what it’s about,” Murray said. “Just coming down, playing hard and everybody trying to be on the same page with whatever we’re trying to accomplish. Tonight I think we did a really good job of just covering for each other throughout the game. Even when they went on runs or whatever, we just stuck together, and we were able to figure it out amongst ourselves.”
Murray has relished the competitive nature of this series, enjoying the strategic adjustments and his personal matchup with Clippers’ defensive specialist Kris Dunn.
“It’s funny, I get some good defenders on me year after year and I get to create good relationships with those guys, you know what I’m saying?” Murray said. “Getting to play against them. Joking around, going back and forth, taunting, whatever it is, it’s all part of the competition, part of the game, so it’s just another challenge. I respect everybody over there. It was just fun to go compete.”
Dunn was drafted two spots ahead of Murray (No. 7) in the 2016 draft, with Clippers forward Ben Simmons going No. 1 overall.
“It’s always fun going against him and always a battle,” Murray said.
Denver initially took Game 1 of the series but faced adversity after losing Games 2 and 3, compounded by injuries to starting forward Michael Porter Jr. (shoulder) and key reserve Russell Westbrook (foot).
However, during the brief break between Games 3 and 4, the Nuggets regained their confidence. They have since dominated the series with physical play and exceptional shooting.
On Tuesday night, it was Murray and Westbrook who set the tone, combining to shoot 25-of-41 (61%) from the field and hitting 11-of-20 3-pointers. This matched the entire Clippers team’s output (11-of-29) from beyond the arc.
Murray’s stellar performance compensated for a quieter night from three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who scored just 13 points on 13 shots but still managed a triple-double with 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
“When he’s complimentary with Nikola, it’s great,” Adelman said of Murray. “But it sure is nice to have these nights where it’s his show. We needed it tonight in a big game.”
Despite all five Clippers starters scoring in double figures, led by Ivica Zubac‘s 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting, Los Angeles couldn’t overcome a lackluster offensive night from James Harden. Harden took just nine shots in 35 minutes and recorded a series-low five assists.
Some credit goes to the defense of Christian Braun, but Harden also seemed disengaged. His 35 touches were a series low, as were the 23 points the Clippers scored on possessions he touched the ball, according to ESPN Research.
Originally Written by: Ramona Shelburne
