Jamal Murray delivered a 43-point masterclass to lead the Denver Nuggets past the Los Angeles Clippers 131-115 in Game 5 on Tuesday night, giving Denver a 3-2 series lead and pushing it one win away from the second round.
The standout performance came on 17-of-26 shooting, including 8-for-14 from deep, as Murray recorded his highest playoff scoring night since the 2020 NBA bubble.
Denver never trailed in the game, taking control early with a 35-point first quarter and maintaining a double-digit lead for most of the contest.
Interim head coach David Adelman had hinted pregame that a signature outing from Murray was brewing, and the guard responded with his sixth career 40-point playoff performance.
Aaron Gordon followed up his Game 4 buzzer-beater with 23 points, while Nikola Jokic posted his 21st career playoff triple-double—tallying 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Christian Braun added a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards, while playing key defensive minutes against James Harden, who managed just 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting and committed four turnovers.
The Clippers fell into a 22-point hole early in the fourth quarter for the second straight game and launched a 17-4 run that trimmed the deficit to nine.
Unlike Game 4, when Los Angeles tied the game before losing at the buzzer, Denver responded with an 11-0 burst—capped by Murray and Gordon combining for all 11 points—to put the game out of reach.
Ivica Zubac led L.A. with a playoff career-high 27 points, Kawhi Leonard added 20, and Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped in 18 off the bench.
Russell Westbrook returned from a left foot injury to score 21 in 25 minutes, including 16 in the first half.
The winner of the series will advance to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who swept Memphis in the opening round.
Denver shot 55.8% from the field and 51.5% from three-point range, while limiting L.A. to 64.3% from the free-throw line and forcing 10 turnovers.
Game 6 tips off Thursday night, with Denver aiming to close the series and move one step closer to defending its crown.
