Tag: Jamal Murray

Coach de los Nuggets tiene razón: Jamal Murray ya es una superestrella de la NBA

Hasta antes de la burbuja, los Denver Nuggets tenían una superestrella: Nikola Jokic. En segundo lugar estaba también Jamal Murray, pero a pesar de ser un excelente soporte, no había logrado dar ese salto final al estrellato desde que los Nuggets lo …

Hasta antes de la burbuja, los Denver Nuggets tenían una superestrella: Nikola Jokic. En segundo lugar estaba también Jamal Murray, pero a pesar de ser un excelente soporte, no había logrado dar ese salto final al estrellato desde que los Nuggets lo recibieron en 2016.

Sin embargo, si los Nuggets querían llegar al siguiente nivel en la postemporada, necesitaban una segunda superestrella. En vez de cambiar a uno de sus diamantes en bruto por una estrella consolidada, la directiva mantuvo un equipo joven con gran potencial para ver cómo se desarrollaban las cosas.

¿El veredicto? Dentro de la burbuja, Murray ha ascendido. El momento de llamarlo superestrella llegó y su entrenador Mike Malone así lo hizo luego de que los Nuggets derrotaran a los Lakers 114-106 en el Juego 3 de las finales de la Conferencia Oeste. Desde USA TODAY Sports:

“Todas las noches sé lo que obtendré de Jamal”, dijo Malone. “El año pasado sabíamos lo que obtendríamos de Nikola, pero ¿qué juego tendría Jamal? Ese ya no es el caso. Con Jamal y Nikola tenemos dos superestrellas y muchos jugadores jóvenes y talentosos detrás de ellos”.

Este video highlight es fantástico y resume el juego de Jamal: es creativo resolviendo jugadas, tiene un juego de rango medio al cual recurrir y sus tiros profundos SON OTRO NIVEL, con 47.7 por ciento en la línea de tres en la postemporada.

Traducción: Otro tiro clutch de Jamal Murray

28 PTS – 12 AST – 8 REB

Se nota que está lleno de confianza. Los Nuggets no han mostrado temor de ir abajo 3-1 en la postemporada, en parte, quizá, por esa confianza, y ahora, enfrentándose a dos de los mejores de la NBA, LeBron James y Anthony Davis, el joven equipo de Denver está lejos de sentirse intimidado.

Y eso es porque su nueva superestrella ha dado el salto.

Artículo traducido por Gabriela Enríquez

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Lakers say charges against Louisville officer ‘wasn’t enough’

Danny Green of the Los Angeles Lakers echoed the feelings of his teammates when speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, and the other two teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs are all preparing to go to work in the middle of the Conference Finals and only a few days away from the NBA Finals. However, the latest developments out of Louisville, Kentucky would be enough to unnerve anybody, regardless of where they are. Members of both the Lakers and the Nuggets are unhappy with the news that the only officer involved in the death of Breonna Taylor has been charged with a crime not related to her murder at the hands of officers while in her own bed.

LeBron James tried to prepare the Los Angeles Lakers for what would come, according to ESPN’s duo of Malika Andrews and Dave McMenamin.

“Bron texted the group chat that there might be an announcement made,” Lakers guard Danny Green said. “Nobody was really happy about it. It was disappointing. In a sense, something was done, but it wasn’t enough. Most guys felt it was definitely not enough. … It’s a tough one. It’s a tough one.”

Denver’s Jamal Murray has played several games with drawings of Breonna Taylor on his shoes and LeBron James has both referenced Taylor in press conferences but also worn merchandise advocating for justice for her killers, which was not served on Wednesday.

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Mike Malone is right: Jamal Murray proved in Game 3 he’s now an NBA superstar

It has happened.

Up until the bubble, the Denver Nuggets had one superstar — a term we shouldn’t throw around lightly — in Nikola Jokic and a terrific supporting cast that included Jamal Murray, who was the No. 2 option, but had never quite broken through ever since the Nuggets took him seventh overall in the 2016 draft out of Kentucky.

It was clear that if the Nuggets wanted to get to the next level in the postseason, however, they’d need a second superstar. Instead of dealing their prodigious depth for one, the front office kept together a young squad that had made a Western Conference semifinals run last season and waited to see what would happen.

The result? Murray has ascended in the bubble. It’s time to anoint him a superstar, something his coach Mike Malone did after the Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 114-106 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. From USA TODAY Sports:

“I know every night what I’m getting from Jamal,” Malone said. “Last year we knew what we were getting from Nikola, but what kind of game would Jamal have? That’s no longer the case. We have two superstars in Nikola and Jamal and a lot of young, talented players behind them.”

You can see it when it comes to crunch time. Both Jokic and Murray are facilitators, and in years past, it felt like neither of them wanted to fully take over like a superstar can and should. So when the Lakers fought back from a Nuggets lead that was as much as 20 in the fourth quarter, Murray did what he’s done this entire postseason: he calmly took over.

This highlight reel is gorgeous — he’s creative on drives, has an underrated mid-range game he can go to, and his shooting from deep is OFF THE CHARTS at 47.7 percent from three in the postseason. Look at this range:

I see confidence all over the place. The Nuggets have had no fear being down 3-1 in the postseason in part because of that confidence, and now, facing two of the NBA’s best in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, this young Denver team isn’t intimidated.

That’s because their newest superstar has made the leap.

[jwplayer N4D2lHT3-q2aasYxh]

Draymond Green reacts to Jamal Murray’s performance in Nuggets vs. Lakers Game 3

Following Jamal Murray’s double-double in game three of the Nuggets-Lakers series, Draymond Green chimed in with a reaction on Twitter.

During the Golden State Warriors offseason, Draymond Green is weighing in on the playoff action inside the Orlando Bubble.

Throughout the playoffs at Disney World, the former Defensive Player of the Year has served as an analyst on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Green has provided commentary and breakdowns for the Orlando Bubble edition of the playoffs. When he’s not in front of the camera, Green has shared his insight on social media.

During game three of the Western Conference Finals between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers, the three-time All-Star reacted to Jamal Murray’s performance.

Via @Money23Green on Twitter;

The Kentucky product tallied 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field with 12 assists, eight rebounds and two steals in 44 minutes. Murray showed off his range, splashing a dagger 3-pointer to give Denver a 12 point advantage with just under a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.

Via @SportsCenter on Twitter:

Watch highlights from Murray’s thrilling effort in game three via @HilltopNBA on Twitter:

Nikola Jokic backed up Murray’s near triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Jerami Grant added 26 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field with three rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes. Twenty or more points from a trio of Nuggets helped seal Denver’s first win of the Western Conference Finals, 114-106.

MVP Runner up LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers with 30 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Coming off a heroic game-winner in game two, Anthony Davis added 27 points and two rebounds against Jokic and the Nuggets in game three.

Murray and the Nuggets will lace up against the Lakers for game four on Thursday at 6 P.M. PT.

Nuggets, Murray and Jokic, remind Lakers they’re not just happy to be here

Jamal Murray made some clutch shots and the Denver Nuggets get on the board in this series, surviving a late Lakers rally.

The Denver Nuggets aren’t just happy to be here. Two 3-1 comebacks and losing by a buzzer-beater should have been enough to prove that, but the Nuggets were ready from the beginning and they were strong-willed enough to withstand a furious Laker rally in the 4th quarter to get on the board in their best-of-seven series. The Lakers lead the series 2-1 after Denver’s 114-106 victory on Tuesday night. LeBron James’ best performance of the series was all for not, as he finished with 30 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in the loss.

The Nuggets nearly blew a 20-point lead in the 4th quarter, thanks to six consecutive turnovers in the 4th and some clutch plays from the Lakers. But the Lakers looked like the comeback attempt took a lot out of them and Murray put on the finishing touches with some slick assists and even more impressive shots. Murray had 28 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds to lead Denver, but Jokic had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while the Nuggets got some major contributions from Jerami Grant, who scored a playoff career-high 26 points.

The Lakers also had a terrible shooting night at an inopportune time, going 6 for 26 from the 3-point line in the loss. They got back into the game with their defense, but the Nuggets showed the poise they’ve displayed the entire postseason under duress to pull out a crucial win. Game 4 is Thursday.

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Nuggets coach had Chris Paul, Jamal Murray meet up over summer

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray learned leadership lessons from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul over summer.

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul may have rubbed some teammates the wrong way in the past, but he has a glowing reputation around the league as a great leader.

A rising star took some lessons from him over summer.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who has wowed the NBA with his playoff performances over the last month, was put in touch with Paul by Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, according to Denver Stiff’s Ryan Blackburn.

The 23-year-old learned about leadership techniques from Paul, Blackburn tweeted.

It looks like he took those lessons to heart. With the two-man game of Murray and center Nikola Jokic, Denver is in the Western Conference Finals.

It has taken Herculean efforts from Murray and Jokic to get there.

Against the Utah Jazz in the first round, Murray broke the NBA record for most points in a first-round playoff series.

He scored 50 points in a Game 4 loss, but posted 42 in Game 5 and 50 in Game 6, becoming the first player since Michael Jordan to score at least 40 points in three games in a row in a playoff series.

Murray helped the Nuggets overcome a 3-1 deficit and advance to the second round.

Then, Denver did it again against the Los Angeles Clippers.

After falling behind three games to one against a team considered by many to be a title contender, the Nuggets stormed back to win the series. Murray scored 40 points in Game 7.

Now, the Nuggets find themselves trailing the Los Angeles Lakers 2-0 in the conference finals. But they have more than proven that they won’t be disheartened by the deficit.

Murray, one of the leaders on the team, is a reason why.

Anthony Davis hits game-winning 3 to put Lakers up 2-0 vs. Nuggets

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis delivered one of the greatest shots in Lakers playoff history to put his team up 2-0 against Denver.

The Los Angeles Lakers were looking at a 1-1 series in the final seconds of their Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets. But thanks to some smart improvisation from Anthony Davis, capping off another performance of 30+ points in his 2nd career conference finals game, the Lakers have a 2-0 lead over the Denver Nuggets in the franchise’s first Western Conference Finals since 2010.

The Lakers had an incredibly sloppy night, racking up 23 turnovers in the win. Davis bailed them out in the final moments of the game. He told TNT’s Allie LaForce after the game that LeBron James was the first option, but once he saw that option was taken away, he realized he needed to improvise.

On the night, Anthony Davis had a game-high 31 points. Meanwhile, LeBron James had 26 points and 11 rebounds on the night.

Nikola Jokic had 30 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and four steals in the loss, while Jamal Murray had 25 points, six rebounds, and four assists.

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Lakers avoid Game 1 letdown with dominant win over Nuggets

Anthony Davis led the way for the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night with 37 points and 10 rebounds in their Game 1 win over the Nuggets.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers not only showed no rust in their Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets, but they also displayed some significant growth in avoiding a Game 1 letdown for the first time in these 2020 playoffs. The Lakers beat the Nuggets 126-114 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Anthony Davis led all scorers with 37 points to go with 10 rebounds, while LeBron James had 15 points and 12 assists. Dwight Howard was also instrumental in the win for the Lakers after hardly playing in the last series, creating problems for Nikola Jokic and getting the start for the Lakers in the second half of Game 1. He also had 13 points for the Lakers.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 18 points for the Lakers. The Nuggets had decent games from Jokic (21 points) and Murray (21 points) but both players got into early foul trouble, putting the Lakers in a double-digit hole at halftime.

Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals is on Sunday evening.

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Lakers news: LeBron James says respect for Nuggets is ‘out of this world’

LeBron James knows what it takes to come back from 3-1, but the Denver Nuggets are the first to do it twice in a single postseason.

LeBron James knows what it takes to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a seven-game series. But only Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the Denver Nuggets know what it’s like to do it twice in a single postseason.

With Denver completing their comeback with a Game 7 win earlier this week, they became the first team in NBA history with two 3-1 comebacks in a postseason. They’ve also yet to play a playoff series in Jokic-Murray era that hasn’t gone the distance, playing in four consecutive Game 7s.

For that reason, in addition to their incredible young talent, LeBron says the Lakers respect for the Nuggets is “out of this world,” according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

“Very resilient, very confident, very driven, very well-coached team,” James said after practice Thursday when asked about Denver. “It takes a lot of energy, effort, a lot of desperation to be able to come back from a 3-1 deficit. They did it twice. So the respect level is out of this world for what we have for this ballclub. That’s how we’re going into this series: understanding what they’re capable of, where they stand.”

The Nuggets may be a little gassed after playing a 7-game series but they seemed to have plenty of energy in the close-out game, blowing out the Clippers. The Nuggets might be able to bounce back a little quicker than expected, seeing as they are by far the younger team in this matchup. Other than 34-year old Paul Millsap, the Nuggets have nobody in their rotation over the age of 30.

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Lakers start Conference Finals vs. Nuggets as massive favorites

Despite the massive upset, the Denver Nuggets are still huge underdogs against the Lakers, according to the sportsbooks.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers weren’t expected to be massive favorites in the Western Conference Finals, but thanks to the stunning upset of the Los Angeles Clippers by the Denver Nuggets in last night’s Game 7 after coming back from a 3-1 deficit, the Lakers are now playing the role of the heavy favorites for the third straight series.

According to the folks at BetOnline.Ag, the Lakers opened the series as massive -525 underdogs, meaning you have to bet $525 just to win $100. The Nuggets odds to win the series opened at +420 but is already up to +500 at other betting houses.

NBA Conference Series Lines

Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers

Denver Nuggets                        +420     (21/4)

Los Angeles Lakers                   -525     (5/21)

The Lakers had already become the favorites to win the 2020 Championship after the Nuggets forced a Game 7 against the Clippers. Now the Lakers are the clear favorites to win the title, followed by the Miami Heat, who are now up 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics.

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