Jamal Murray couldn’t buy a bucket in the middle of this game.
After beginning with nine points in the first quarter, Murray struggled to find his rhythm again, ultimately falling to 6-of-21 heading into the fourth quarter. The Denver Nuggets, once up big, had relinquished their lead and were staring down the barrel at another horrible loss.
Then, Murray woke up, and the Nuggets breathed a sigh of relief.
The Nuggets defeated the Sacramento Kings 130-129 in what turned out to be a pretty epic game. Jamal Murray hit a game-winning mid-range jumper out of the two-man game with Nikola Jokic with nine seconds left to put the Nuggets up one.
From there, the Nuggets finally got a stop in what was an offensive affair to say the least. DeMar DeRozan missed a baseline fadeaway, and the Kings couldn’t recover the rebound in time for another shot.
This had the potential to be a really, really bad loss. The Nuggets won the first quarter 41-21, but after allowing an incredible 47 points in the second quarter defensively, the Kings got back in the game and ultimately took the lead. From then on, the Nuggets operated from a deficit until clutch time, when they roared back into it. Aaron Gordon hit a clutch three, then the Kings scored, then the game got really crazy. There were SEVEN lead changes in the final 75 seconds of this game. Both teams going shot for shot.
1:20 seconds of BAND FOR BAND https://t.co/WngRkVIG2Z pic.twitter.com/2l9EZYdmHv
— Niko (@nikotaughtyou) December 17, 2024
Murray finished the game with 28 points on 11-of-26 from the field, making his final five shot attempts, including 3-of-3 from the three point line. He added six assists and had the occasional defensive moment. Really though, it’s the tough shotmaking. That’s why he gets paid the big bucks, and it’s why it was so important to see Denver go to him and him answer the call.
Nikola Jokic had what I will deem the worst 20 point, 14 rebound, and 13 assist game of his life. Some of the turnovers and defensive plays he had in this one were baffling, as was the lack of aggression early in the game against Domantas Sabonis. Of course, that’s what makes Jokic the three-time MVP: he delivered exactly what needed to happen in the final five minutes. From a clutch floater, to a three-pointer after going 0-of-5 from three throughout the contest, to the defense under the rim spooking DeMar DeRozan into dropping the ball, and so many more nuances throughout.
Russell Westbrook finished one rebound away from a triple-double and was very impressive throughout this game with 18 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds, and three steals. He got downhill when other Nuggets couldn’t made several hustle plays, set up Jokic for one of his floaters in the clutch, and simply made plays throughout. He was one of the reasons why the Nuggets were ahead by so much in the first quarter.
Finally, Aaron Gordon had a monster first quarter to get the Nuggets the big lead in the first place, scoring 14 points in the opening frame. He finished with 24 points, and the clutch three he hit at the end was such a big deal. Denver needed the extra stuff to go their way, and Gordon continues to prove his jump shot is better than ever before. He looks awesome, and the physicality to dominate on the interior was a big deal early.
A Catalyst for Murray
In the 2022-23 season when Jamal Murray was coming back from ACL surgery, he had a moment against the Portland Trail Blazers in December, hitting a clutch three over Jerami Grant after showing out as a scorer in the fourth quarter of a game he struggled. After the game, the locker room was so happy. Players were celebrating a big moment for Murray in his return to the floor, and it was a catalyst for Murray to play some of the best basketball he’s ever played.
Obviously, it’s been a long time since then. Nobody knows exactly what’s happening with Murray and why he’s struggled to start this year. He’s dealt with some minor injuries, but the struggles got to a point that people have wondered whether he can be relied upon in the playoffs.
Tonight was a nice reminder game. In a every way.
Murray’s not a perfect player. He can be inefficient, a bit too methodical at times, but there’s no question about his willingness to show up in big moments. He’s a big game player who wants the pressure of these moments, lives for them. It’s the reason the Nuggets paid him in the first place. They know that a championship is only possible if Murray’s involved in a positive way.
Could this be like that moment in Portland in 2022? Who knows? It was a fun sequence though, one that papered over what could have been a very disheartening loss.
Instead, the Nuggets are 14-10 and fifth in the West by themselves.
Final Rotations
