After a rough set of home games, Jamal Murray has finally found his rhythm in the homestand-concluding matchup against the Orlando Magic and, for good measure, he also set a new career high in points with 32 as well as a new career-high in made three-pointers with six.
So far this season has been up and down for Murray, and the six-game homestand has been a shining example of his relatively inconsistent play. After putting up 24 points against the Toronto Raptors — making 8-10 field goals and 3-5 from three-point range — he only managed to score 25 points combined across the next four games. He was shooting just 25 percent from three-point range and 36 percent from the field across those games.
“He’s a great kid. He always wants to listen and learn,” Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone said. “I talked to him after shootaround the other day and I said, ‘listen, right now you’re not shooting it consistently because you take a different shot all the time. If you want to be a shooter, you’ve got to take the same shot every time.’”
Against Orlando, and with starting shooting guard Gary Harris ruled out at game time due to a sore shoulder, the Nuggets needed someone to step up and take control. Will Barton took Harris’ place in the starting lineup, but it was Murray who found his magic early, as he put up 22 points in the first half, including 16 points in the first quarter. Murray’s first-half effort helped put the Nuggets ahead by 23. In fact, Denver had accumulated an obscene 70 points against the Magic in the first half of the game.
“I was just shooting,” Murray said after the game. “They just told me if I’m open, shoot it.”
Murray rolled into the second half doing much of the same and eventually tied his previous career high of 30 points in the third quarter. Once the fourth quarter rolled around, Murray went quiet while the Magic made it a closer game — bringing the deficit to just 13 points — but the Nuggets were able to regain the momentum and rebuild the lead back up to 20 points, taking the pressure off of Murray and allowing him to finally set his new career-high.
By the end of the game, Murray had totaled 32 points, four rebounds, and two assists in 33 minutes of playing time; he shot 12-21 from the field and 6-9 from three-point range. The Nuggets’ effort, behind the inspired two-way play of Murray, moved Denver into first place in the Northwest Division, and third overall in the Western Conference.
“Now the challenge is consistency. Don’t (have) peaks and valleys. Let’s try to be as consistent as we can,” Malone said. “And that’s a challenge for a 20-year-old in the very tough Western Conference.”
Consistency will become a necessity for Murray, as the team moves towards a quick road stint against Denver’s divisional rival — the Portland Trail Blazers — before returning home to face the New Orleans Pelicans, who currently sit just one game back in the standings.