By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Denver Nuggets will head to Los Angeles with a 2-0 lead, and all it took was an appearance by an incredible Jamal Murray. Plus the usual from Nikola Jokic.
The Nuggets guard looked like the version of himself that gained fame in the 2020 playoffs with a 37-point performance on Thursday, leading the Nuggets to a 108-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
The Nuggets also got a fourth straight triple-double from Jokic, who had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists. It was also his fifth triple-double in six games.
But it was Murray who played the role of finisher. He had been battling an ear infection that sidelined him last weekend and prevented him from doing much at all.
But he has scored 31 or more points in both of the Nuggets’ home wins against the Lakers. On Thursday night, Murray scored the final 12 points of the game for the Nuggets. That is the second-most consecutive points scored for a team to end a game in a conference finals or NBA Finals win over the past 25 years, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“He was special and he won us the game,” Jokic said. “His energy, he played 42 minutes, so … I think he was amazing. Yes, maybe in the first half, he struggled to make shots. But when it mattered the most, he made shots and won us the game basically.”
It was a moment Denver coach Michael Malone cherished. He has seen how hard Murray has had to work to fight his way back from a torn left ACL in April 2021, forcing him to miss the previous two postseasons.
“I love Jamal Murray,” Malone said. “This is not just like I’m coaching him. We’ve been together seven years and been through a lot of ups and downs, and to see him back playing at the level he’s playing at, the first thought for me is just tremendous pride and just so happy for him. Because I saw the dark days coming back from that ACL.
Malone added: “He needs to continue to do that. Obviously our goal is not done. We have to win this series. Our goal is to win a championship, and he’s going to be a big part of that.”