“I don’t think I get enough respect” – Jamal Murray sends strong message after Nuggets’ 2-0 lead over Lakers
Jamal Murray wants respect put on his name. After a narrow victory over the LA Lakers in Game 1, much of the talk was about what LA could have done differently to close out the game. The limited coverage surrounding the Denver Nuggets was largely about Nikola Jokic's historic performance.
It was something coach Michael Malone spoke about to media members following the game. As Malone observed, the Nuggets weren't getting the coverage they deserved. Following the team's performance on Thursday night, however, that no longer seems to be the case.
After a big Game 2 performance saw Murray post a ridiculous scoreline of 37 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals in 42 minutes, he wants his respect. After a 108-103 win over the Lakers closed out a two-game stretch at home, Murray spoke to Marc J. Spears of AndScape, saying:
“I don’t think I get enough respect as I should be. I’m better than a lot of players in the league. Every time I see rankings of guys I think, ‘Man, that is crazy.’ Maybe it’s because I have been out for so long. But if we win the chip, it changes everything. ...
We’re the Denver Nuggets. We’re used to that. Even when we win, they talk about the other team,”
With the Nuggets now headed to LA to take on a Lakers team that has yet to lose at home this postseason, Murray is eager to continue to put his doubters on notice.
Michael Malone goes to bat for Jamal Murray & Denver Nuggets after Game 2 win
After Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, a lot of attention was paid to the late-game decision to put Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic. While some predicted the Nuggets would scheme around the matchup and bounce back in Game 2, others believed Darvin Ham had unlocked the secret to a win.
In Game 2, Jokic put up yet another triple-double, scoring 23 points and hauling down 17 boards while dishing out 12 assists. After another impressive win from the duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, Malone spoke to media members, saying:
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“I think a lot of our guys, to be honest, they may not admit this or not. You win Game 1, and all everybody talked about was the Lakers. Let’s be honest, the national narrative was,H‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.'”
With the Nuggets now looking to take a 3-0 lead at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, the team has quickly positioned itself as favorites to win an NBA championship. As the Boston Celtics look to tie up the season series 1-1 against the Miami Heat on Friday night, Jamal Murray and the Nuggets like their chances.
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