Tag: Jamal Murray

Jamal Crawford captivated by Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray’s play

Like everyone else who isn’t in the bubble, Brooklyn Nets guard Jamal Crawford is watching the intense 2020 NBA Playoffs.

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An all-Los Angeles 2020 Western Conference Finals seemed like a foregone conclusion. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic took home-court advantage away from both teams, each has a roster loaded with talent.

The Lakers made quick work of the Houston Rockets in their Western Conference Semifinals matchup, winning in five games.

The Clippers — who lost to the Brooklyn Nets during seeding play — not so much. They had a chance to advance to the Western Conference Finals in Game 5 win, yet they were seen battling for their postseason lives in Game 7 on Tuesday — and to no avail, losing 104-89.

Jamal Murray was the driving force behind so much of the Nuggets’ success in both the first and second round of the playoffs, but Nikola Jokic had himself some big nights, as well — including his triple-double performance (16 points, 22 rebounds and 13 assists) in Game 7.

Although the big man ripped down over 20 boards, Jokic wowed the masses with his passing above all else.

Among those Jokic impressed was Nets guard Jamal Crawford, who took to Twitter to praise the Nuggets big man mid-game:

It’s official. Joker is one of my favorite players to watch.

Then, when Murray hit his crazy 3-pointer with just over two minutes left in the game, he was as stunned as anyone.

Murray’s dagger in his 40-point performance led to a powerful, though accurate, declaration from Crawford:

Jamal Murray is a star.

Nikola Jokic catches fire, Nuggets come from behind to stun Clippers in Game 5

The Nuggets made a huge second-half comeback to stay alive in the playoffs.

After heading into halftime of a must-win Game 5 down 12 points to a Clippers team playing great basketball, it seemed like the Nuggets season was likely to end on Friday night. TNT analyst Charles Barkley, in fact, guaranteed that the Clippers would win the game, joking that the Nuggets’ chartered jet was already being fueled up.

The Clippers’ lead was 15 points with nine minutes left in the third, but the Nuggets were able to cut the deficit to seven by the end of the quarter with Paul Millsap keeping the team in the game offensively. What followed was an unbelievable takeover performance from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to save the Nuggets’ season. Jokic hit four clutch shots in the quarter, including two huge threes.

Murray had a rough first half, shooting just 5-for-15 from the field, but hit three threes in the fourth.

The Nuggets have already overturned one 3-1 series deficit in these playoffs, coming from behind against the Jazz in the opening round. They’ll face another elimination game on Sunday, while the Lakers will hope to secure extra rest by closing out the Houston Rockets on Saturday.

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Michael Porter Jr. criticized the Nuggets’ play calling and got called out for it

Oh man.

When Michael Porter Jr. finally got playing time for the Nuggets this season, he showed out.

He didn’t make first-team All-Bubble for no reason. He’s an absolute bucket and should have a pretty bright career ahead of him if he’s able to stay healthy.

But, despite all of that, he overstepped his boundaries a bit on Wednesday when he publicly called out Nuggets coach Mike Malone’s play calling in a post game press conference.

Porter Jr. had 15 points in the first half of the game but went without a shot in the second half. Porter was clearly frustrated that the Nuggets offense went away from him.

When speaking to the media after the game, he voiced a bit of that frustration by saying they needed to get more players involved outside of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray — you know, just their two best players.

“That’s really up to the play calls, that’s really up to the coaches. Who they want to put the ball in who’s hands. We kept going to Jok and Mal, and I think they’re two amazing players. You can never get mad at that. But I just think, to beat that team, we’ve got to get more players involved, we’ve got to move the ball a bit better. We can’t be predictable against that team.” 

Sheesh. That’s not a good look at all. This isn’t going to go over well.

It’s pointless to debate whether Porter Jr. is right or not here. He’s complaining about all of the touches going to the team’s two best players, but that’s kind of just how basketball works.

What’s more concerning here is that he was willing to air this grievance out publicly without talking to his team and his coach about it first or just going through a film session to see why they might’ve went away from him. He’s just calling them out.

It wasn’t a good look. Damian Lillard called him out for it.

So did Kendrick Perkins.

This just isn’t a good look for Porter — especially when you dive into the numbers.

Jokic and Murray are the Nuggets’ offensive fulcrums and they’re getting most of the touches because of it. But it’s not like they don’t pass the ball. You know who doesn’t, though? Michael Porter Jr.

So, yeah. Not the greatest look. And definitely not the time to do something like this when your team just fell into a 3-1 hole.

Hopefully, they can hash this thing out and get back to playing good basketball again.

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Jamal Murray was so bummed by the Nuggets’ playoff schedule: ‘We play again on Thursday?!’

Good luck, Nuggets.

The NBA playoffs have been straight up exhausting so far. It’s all just so much to keep up with.

There are no back to backs, but teams are playing every other day. The second round of the playoffs has already begun for some, but the first round is still going on strong for others. And there’s just not much of a break in between.

It’s a lot of basketball, which is great! But it’s also a lot of basketball, which can lead to tired eyes for fans and, more importantly, tired legs for players — even without the travel.

Jamal Murray captured that feeling perfectly on Tuesday after completing a 3-1 series comeback against the Utah Jazz.

He was clearly gassed during a postgame interview with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt. Van Pelt asked Murray what he’ll do to prepare to play the Clippers on Thursday, and Murray was absolutely (and hilariously) shocked by the question.

“Murray: We play Thursday?!

Van Pelt: Yeah.

Murray: We don’t get two days off?!

Van Pelt: No. Nah, it’s Thursday.” 

FAM. This expression says it all.

That is a man who is TIRED. Poor Jamal Murray. Poor Nuggets, really. Not only do they have to play again in two days. But they have to play again in two days against the Clippers, fam.

Just imagine. In two days, a dead tired Jamal Murray is going to play against a well rested Kawhi Leonard who hasn’t played since Sunday.

Yeah, good luck with that one, Nuggets fans. Great series though.

Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. survive to win Game 7 after bizarre ending

Game 7 between the Nuggets and Jazz proved to be one of the oddest finishes in recent playoff history.

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For one half of basketball, it appeared as though the Denver Nuggets were going to coast to a Game 7 win over the Utah Jazz and advance to play the Los Angeles Clippers. Instead, the Jazz helped create one of the oddest finishes in recent memory before the Nuggets held on to win.

The Nuggets led the Jazz 50-36 at halftime as Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. carried the offensive load. On the order side, Donovan Mitchell had just seven points in the first half and was cold from the field after averaging 38.7 points in the previous six games.

Mitchell responded to begin the third quarter by scoring the first nine points for the Jazz. Mitchell eventually scored 13 points in the period as the Jazz cut the deficit, which grew to as many as 19 points, down to five entering the fourth quarter.

Rudy Gobert led the Jazz by scoring 10 of their 15 total points in the fourth quarter with the final sequence unfolding in dramatic fashion as the Nuggets won, 80-78.

Jokic scored 30 points and 14 rebounds as he joined David Thompson (37, 1978) as the only players in team history to score at least 30 points in a Game 7, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Murray added 17 while Porter chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds in the low-scoring affair.

The Nuggets won despite scoring just 30 points in the second half. The 30 points scored by the Nuggets were the fewest in the second half of a Game 7 win during the shot-clock era (since 1954-55). By comparison, the Jazz managed to score 42 points in the half.

Mitchell finished the game with 22 points and nine rebounds after an incredible performance during the series. He averaged 36.3 points, five rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on 52% shooting from 3-point range in the seven-game series.

The matchup between the Nuggets and Jazz proved to perhaps the most exciting series in the playoffs thus far. Murray and Mitchell each recorded multiple 50-point outings and combined to score 475 points, the most ever by opposing players in a series in NBA history.

After walking away with the last-second win on Tuesday, the Nuggets will now face the Clippers starting on Thursday in the Western Conference semifinals.

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Jamal Murray vs. Donovan Mitchell was the biggest scoring showdown in NBA playoffs history

Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell combined for the highest-scoring playoff series in NBA history over the past few weeks.

The incredible display put on between Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell in Round 1 of the 2020 NBA playoffs wound up being a historical one.

That’s because the ultra-talented duo combined for 475 points, the most scored by two opponents in a playoff series in NBA history.

Murray and Mitchell took the record away from Jerry West and John Havlicek, who, in fairness, had their own unbelievable shootout with slightly higher stakes at hand, in the 1969 Finals. The two Hall-of-Fame ball-handlers combined for 463 points in that series, 12 fewer than what Murray and Mitchell just put up.

The other highest-scoring playoff series duos all likewise took place in the 1960s and ’70s – Bob McAdoo and Elvin Hayes in the 1975 conference semifinals (461 points), Elgin Baylor and Bob Pettit in the 1961 division finals (461 points) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Rick Barry in the 1977 conference finals (450 points).

The most recent duo to come close to Murray and Mitchell’s mark was Allen Iverson and Vince Carter, who went off for 449 combined points in the 2001 conference semifinals.

What’s craziest about Mitchell and Murray breaking the record is that they did so even with extremely subpar – by their heightened standards –  Game 7 performances, with the former scoring 22 points on 22 shot attempts and the latter producing merely 17 points on 21 attempts.

Had the tandem gone off yet again in Game 7, they would have left the previous all-time mark even further in the dust.

As is, Mitchell’s 254 points in the series were the best scoring mark for a player in a playoff series since 1977, when Abdul-Jabbar dropped 260 points in the conference semifinals.

In the end, Mitchell and Murray will be linked forever for the otherwordly scoring displays they put on this year, with the Utah Jazz man scoring 57 points, 51 points and 44 points in three of his team’s playoff outings, and the Denver Nuggets guard putting up 50 points, 42 points and 50 points in three consecutive contests prior to Game 7. (That’s good for 47.3 points per game which he did on 64.2/62.9/88.9 shooting splits, for those keeping track at home.)

But it will be Murray who will be remembered more fondly, since it was his outrageous – and clutch – scoring that led Denver to a playoff series victory over Mitchell and Co., despite the Jazz holding a 3-1 series lead at one point.

Regardless, hat’s off to both gentlemen for the insane bucket-getting show they just gave us. It’ll be fun to see what Mitchell and Murray, both of whom are still just 23 years of age, have to show us in the future.

Jamal Murray’s emotional postgame interview after scoring 50 in Game 6 was so powerful

“Even though these people are gone they give me life, they help me find strength to keep fight in this world.”

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray had another huge game Sunday night as he scored 50 points and helped force a Game 7 against the Utah Jazz. But his live interview seconds after the game on TNT was much more powerful than anything he did on the court during the game.

Murray has been a force in this series, scoring over 40 points in each of the last there games. After the game he spoke about what he’s playing for and why everything the NBA has been doing in the bubble means so much for society.

Murray wore special shoes for Game 6 that had the faces of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor on them and when asked about his performance he spoke about why this all means so much more than wins and losses in a basketball game.

This was beautiful:

He added to those powerful comments in his postgame press conference:

He was overcome by emotions on the way back to the locker room:

NBA players and Twitter were rightfully in awe of his words and his emotions:

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Draymond Green shows love to Jamal Murray for 50-point game vs. Jazz

Jamal Murray couldn’t miss on Sunday night, and Dray had to throw some props his way.

Draymond Green might not be playing in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, but he sure is enjoying them.

On Sunday night, Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets put forth an effort that could only be described as heroic. With his team facing elimination, according to Basketball-Reference.com, Murray became the first player in NBA playoff history to score 50 points on better than 70% shooting from the field.

In the end, the Nuggets pulled out a 119-107 victory over Utah to force a Game 7 on Tuesday night. The winner of the series will play the Clippers in the second round, which will begin on Thursday.

Murray’s line on the night: 50 points, five rebounds and six assists. He shot 17-for-24 from the field, including 9-for-12 from three-point range. All series long, Murray put on a show, and on Sunday night, he did enough to eclipse Donovan Mitchell, who scored 44 points of his own.

Green, like the rest of the NBA world, couldn’t help but to notice the incredible effort.

“Why Jamal Murray acting like that…. sheeeessshhhhh!!!!,” Green tweeted.

We can only hope that Game 7 is as entertaining as the first six games of the series. It’s sure to be “Must See TV.”

Just ask Dray.

Ja Morant saluted Jamal Murray after dropping 50 points in Game 6

Jamal Murray on Sunday became one of four players to record multiple 50-point performances in a playoff series.

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Jamal Murray on Sunday became one of four players to record multiple 50-point performances in a postseason series as the Denver Nuggets beat the Utah Jazz to force a Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.

Murray finished with 50 points in the 119-107 victory as he shot 17-of-24 from the field and 9-of-12 from 3-point range. He also became the first player since Allen Iverson in 2001 to record three straight games with at least 40 points in a playoff series.

The performance by Murray set off social media as fans and players alike walked away impressed with his outing. Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was among those that enjoyed the game and took to Twitter to offer his praise to Murray.

While Murray certainly put on a show, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell scored 44 points as the two players traded baskets in the fourth quarter. Mitchell also joined Murray on the list of players to record multiple 50-point in a playoff series.

The series between the Nuggets and Jazz has become one of the most entertaining of the postseason to this point and Game 7 on Tuesday is shaping up to be no different.

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Jamal Murray, Donovan Mitchell join Allen Iverson for 50 point playoff games

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell joined Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson in playoff history.

Philadelphia 76ers legendary guard Allen Iverson has made a huge impact on the history of basketball due to his scoring ability. Despite being so small in stature, he was able to become one of the most explosive scorers in the history of the game on his way to the Hall of Fame.

His impact on the playoffs is just as great as he has had some historic playoff runs in the NBA. On Sunday night, he was joined by a couple of young NBA stars in the making.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray had 50 points in Sunday’s win over the Utah Jazz to help the team force a Game 7. Murray and Jazz star Donovan Mitchell now both have multiple gamed of 50+ points in this series. They both joined Iverson and Michael Jordan as the only players to have multiple games of 50+ points in a single playoff series.

Murray and Mitchell have been going back and forth in this series on the basketball court and they both have reminded fans of Iverson with their scoring ability. It will be interesting to see what the two of them have left for a Game 7. [lawrence-related id=37294,37291,37266]