“Five more to go” – Jamal Murray oozing confidence after a 37-point outing against LA
Jamal Murray was fired up after leading the Denver Nuggets to a 119-108 road win in Game 3 over the LA Lakers on Saturday. The Nuggets are up 3-0 in this series. Murray scored 37 points, grabbed seven boards and dished six assists, shooting 51.7%, including 5-of-11 from deep.
The Nuggets point guard was uber-confident about Denver's shot at a championship win after the game, sending out a strong statement, saying (via NBA TV):
"Five more to go"
"Five more to go." - @BeMore27 https://t.co/9DFZTdFaI0
The Nuggets are looking increasingly likely to win their first championship. They are bound to make their first finals appearance ever after going up 3-0. No team has managed to overcome that deficit in league history.
Jamal Murray has played a significant role in the Nuggets inching closer to making the finals. Through three games, he has averaged 35.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists, shooting an impressive 52.1%, including 45.5% from deep and 93.3% from the free-throw line.
He was huge in games 2 and 3. The Nuggets trailed by 11 points in the second half of Game 2 when Murray single-handedly turned the contest in favor of his team in the clutch, scoring 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter.
Murray put the team on his back in the second half of Game 4, with the Lakers not allowing the Nuggets to stretch their lead easily. Nikola Jokic was in foul trouble with four in the third quarter. The Nuggets needed a special effort from Murray and the role players to keep the team's lead intact in Jokic's absence in that stretch.
He didn't score but ensured he was efficient with his playmaking in the "Joker's" absence. Murray had four assists in the third quarter alone and seven of his 37 points in the fourth.
Jamal Murray emerging as the difference-maker in Denver Nuggets' 2023 playoff run
Jamal Murray's absence proved heavy for the Denver Nuggets in the past two playoffs. The Nuggets exited in the second round of the 2021 playoffs, losing 4-0 to the Phoenix Suns. They got eliminated in the first round of the 2022 playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, losing 4-1.
Murray was out injured in those two postseasons due to an ACL tear he sustained during the 2020-21 season. Nikola Jokic didn't have much support around him at the time in Murray's absence. The latter proved the Nuggets' mettle once he returned this season. Murray had a respectable regular season after averaging 20.0 points and 6.0 assists, shooting 45.4%, including 39.8% from 3-point range.
The Nuggets finished first in the Western Conference standings with a 53-29 record. Murray improved his production come playoff time, reminding the rest of the league that the Nuggets are still a threat when healthy.
Jamal Murray in the Western Conference Finals:
37 PTS | 7 REB | 6 AST | 2 STL
37 PTS | 10 REB | 5 AST | 4 STL
31 PTS | 5 REB | 5 AST | 3 STL
Averaging 35 PPG on 52/46/93% splits. https://t.co/iv3br9OL4a
He has averaged 27.2 points and 6.2 assists on 47/41/92 splits this postseason. Jamal Murray has emerged as decisive on several occasions for the Nuggets, especially when Nikola Jokic has had to play as a distributor more than a scorer.
It's safe to assume that the Canadian is the 'X-Factor' for the Nuggets in this playoff run.