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Jamal Murray Rises From The Pumpkin Patch In Brooklyn

By Mike Wilson

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 02: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles upcourt during the second half of a preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on October 2, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 02: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles upcourt during the second half of a preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on October 2, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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The story going into tonight’s game was Jamal Murray’s start of the season cold streak and if he could kick it in gear in Brooklyn at the Barclay Center against the home team Nets.  Up until tonight’s game, Jamal was shooting 10 for 38 from the field.  10 for 38!  Not what’d you expect the Kentucky shooter who the Denver Nuggets scoring will depend on if they hope to make it to the playoffs.  In his rookie season, he went on a 4 game shooting slump until he opened up.  In his sophomore season? Going into Brooklyn would be the 6th game Jamal in row he couldn’t buy a bucket if it was on sale at Costco.

The Nuggets defense was ripped to shreds in the first quarter.  To what felt like the Charlotte game, the Nets were shooting 60% from the field in the first and 5-8 from beyond the three-point line.  The only Nugget in the first that was willing to dig in and get his hands dirty was Mason Plumlee.  Like he did in Atlanta, Plumlee was aggressive under the basket, followed up on offense rebounds, and asserted some physicality with the Nets in the paint.

There a few sweet passes taking place in the first half as the game turned into the second quarter

Surprisingly, who stood out in the second was Emmanuel Mudiay.  Found myself having visions of Mudiay’s Boston game from last year where he put 26 up in the first half.  Seemingly out of nowhere, early in the second when Mudiay came in the game, he took the ball in three possessions, three solo shots, three swishes of the basket.  Nets coach, Kenny Atkinson, was forced to take a timeout and the Nuggets bench erupted.  This, you love to see.

Mudiay made great uses of the minutes he had in the first half.  Very smooth contested jump shots were going in.  Was dishing the ball very smoothly.  Put up 15 points in the first half and looked like the PG that the Nuggets thought they drafted first round in 2015.

This is the first game in the 2017-18 season we have seen Murray and Mudiay playing really well at the same time.  This set the pace from both the bench and the starters (although the starters scored 80% of tonight’s points).  Nuggets will really enjoy this luxury having of two point guards that could realistically both start for many teams in the league as they go deeper into the season.

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The Nuggets went into the half, 60-63 and only a score away due to a last second, half court shot by Barton.  Seems like the third or fourth time the Nuggets have pulled off a half court shot going into the half.

In the third, for the first time this season, you really started to see the Nuggets offense open up.  So for this season, the team has seem confused, not confident, and generally over thinking as they moved around the court together.  Tonight, that all seemed to go away and the guys started to really click on the court.

To start the second half, the Nuggets went on a 22-4 run.  Wilson Chandler had his own coming out party, putting up back to back to back three pointers to start the third.  Deep threes, mind you.  Deep.  This forced the Nets to take another heat check time out.  They could never really recover past this point.  The Nuggets put up 40 points in 12 minutes.

Stop me when you have heard this before. In the fourth, they let the Nets come back.  They went from down 24 to within 8 points with four minutes left.  Via Mason Plumlee, Wilson Chander, and Jamal Murray’s aggressive defense, they were able to keep their foot on the Net’s throat and come out with a Nuggets W in Brookyln.

Jokic had his average double-double by the fourth quarter.  Millsap said heck, I might as well get a double-double too.  There were about 7 players in double digits going into the fourth quarter.

Hopefully tonight is the spark the Nugget’s offense needed in order to get the season started.  Last year they waited until December 15th. Can they get it going before Thanksgiving this year?  They stay in the 5 Burroughs tonight and play the Knicks in the Garden tomorrow night.

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