The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 131-115 in Game 5 to take a definitive 3-2 series lead.
Jamal Murray was outrageous. Nikola Jokic was…subpar for his standards but still impactful in several ways. The starters won their minutes by a lot, and Russell Westbrook returned to offer some major impact. Overall, an excellent Game 5 performance that gives Denver a leg up in trying to close the series in the next two games.
Here’s the Notes from Game 4:
First Quarter:
- Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon got off to strong starts
- Nuggets leaving Kris Dunn wide open and he didn’t make them pay early. Taken off the floor for spacing
- Russell Westbrook checks in at 4:42 mark. Normal rotation for him. No Jalen Pickett in first half
- Nikola Jokic attacking Ben Simmons off the dribble in small ball looks with little success, but he still found cutters and spacers
- Christian Braun and Peyton Watson with great defense on James Harden to end the quarter
Nuggets lead 35-23 after first quarter.
Second Quarter:
- Westbrook going off, made two pull-up threes, also hit an And-1 and rocked the baby
- DeAndre Jordan struggling to cover space and alter shots in place of Jokic
- Nuggets only minus-1 in the non-Jokic minutes, plus-3 in the non-Murray minutes. Denver’s bench, particularly Westbrook, making things easier
- Kawhi only with eight points on seven shots but seven assists to go with it
- Murray made a three at the end of the half, but it was after the buzzer. Tough break
Nuggets lead 67-59 at halftime.
Third Quarter:
- Early timeout from Ty Lue as he senses the Nuggets making a run following a wide open Michael Porter Jr. transition three
- Watching MPJ operate with one arm for most of these possessions is wild. Occasionally, he uses the left arm out of instinct, but mostly he keeps the arm at his side when he can
- We are getting a Jamal Murray flurry. He’s making crazy shots
- Nuggets committing some turnovers and missing some reads, even Jokic as the Clippers throw different matchups his way. They even used James Harden to guard him on purpose for a bit and Jokic didn’t make them pay
- Westbrook and Bogdanovic going at it, get double technical fouls
- Westbrook and Braun hit back-to-back HUGE threes to push Denver’s lead to 16 at the end of the quarter
Nuggets lead 99-83 after third quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
- Westbrook, Murray, Porter, Gordon, and Jordan on the floor (to match Zubac minutes)
- Nuggets bench pushed lead up to 22 points with more Murray magic and a big Porter three
- Clippers stayed attached for a bit and made Denver sweat a little with some pressure
- James Harden spent large portions of the quarter guarding Jokic, who was uncharacteristically bothered by Harden, Simmons, and other smaller matchups
- Murray helped stabilize things, as did Aaron Gordon, who casually generated 23 points on 11 shots tonight by attacking mismatches consistently
- The Clippers waved the white flag with under three minutes to go, and garbage time ensued
Nuggets win 131-115 vs Clippers.
Short Takeaway
Jamal Murray was ridiculous tonight. He made on-balance shots. He made off-balance shots. He attacked mismatches by involving Harden in the action. He escaped the defense of Kris Dunn, Kawhi Leonard, and others with crafty footwork and gamesmanship. It was a marvelous showing, Murray’s big statement for the series. In a matchup featuring Nikola Jokic, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden, it can be Murray that decides games and wills this team to the next echelon.
JAMAL MURRAY PUT ON SHOW IN A PIVOTAL GAME 5!
🔥 43 PTS
🔥 8 3PM
🔥 7 AST
🔥 3 STL
🔥 17-26 FGM (65.4%)His 6th-career 40+ point postseason game leaves the @nuggets 1 win away from advancing! pic.twitter.com/NSDYhnyku4
— NBA (@NBA) April 30, 2025
But tonight was clearly Murray’s night. In a game where Jokic had 13 points on 4-of-13 from the field (to go along with his normal all-encompassing impact) it was Murray that scored enough for the both of them. 43 points is a ridiculous tally, tied for the most points in a playoff game in 2024-25 with Anthony Edwards. Talk about timely scoring from your second star…
Final Rotations
