Jamal Murray has arrived. Moreover, he has put the Denver Nuggets on his back. When this team seemed to be defeated. Murray is willing his team to two straight victories. Forcing a game seven. How did he make an impact?
Jamal Murray has become a problem for the Utah Jazz. The Denver Nuggets have planned for the Utah Jazz to shut down Jokic. They have then run screens for Jamal Murray. And whatever the Nuggets are doing Murray is making the Jazz pay.
In the last three games, Murray has been ridiculous. Jazz had no answers for him. In addition, Murray has dropped two 50-point games on the Jazz. “I’m running out of things and superlatives for Jamal Murray,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone gushed after the game. “I just want to say I’m proud of him.” After three games of dropping superstar numbers, coach Malone or anyone would run out of adjectives to describe Jamal’s performance.
Murray’s stat line is off the charts. 142 points on 52 of 81 shooting (64 percent) from the field. And Murray was 22 of 35 (62 percent) from behind the arch. I mean that is extraordinarily accurate from that spectrum. He has definitely had an impact on this series. He was the man that brought them back from the dead. And erased a three to one deficit. To win the game.
Then, game seven happened. Where he found a different way to be effective. Last night, Murray only scored 17 points on seven for 21 shooting and one for six from behind the arch. Jamal made the Jazz focus on him. Paving the way for Nikola Jokić and his teammates to take center stage. And win game seven.
Nikola Jokić was up to the task. Dropping 30 points on 12 of 23 shooting. All because of the traps and double teams that Murray was getting thrown at him. His teammates had a lot of open looks. Jokic gained a good position on the block for his post-up moves.
In conclusion, Murray was the MVP of this series. He went off for 142 points in three elimination games. As well as switching the Utah Jazz defense scheme to stopping him. Thus allowing Nikola Jokić space for him to dominate the game.
