Denver Nuggets: Player of the game vs. Bulls

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The Denver Nuggets unleashed their frustration from a lopsided loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night with a 135-105 drubbing of the lowly Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

In spite of a sluggish first quarter that resulted in the Bulls holding a slim lead over the Denver Nuggets, Denver kicked things into gear by halftime and exploded for 42 points as a team in the third quarter.

This hot stretch effectively put the game to bed and gave the Nuggets their 30th win of the season.

The Nuggets’ scoring eruption in the third quarter was led by guard Jamal Murray, who finished the quarter with a scorching line of 22 points on 7-10 shooting (6-8 from three-point range).

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Murray had struggled until that point as he contributed just three points in the first half, but the Kentucky product came back in the second half with a spark-plug level of confidence that Nuggets fans have become accustomed to seeing from the young guard.

It was a tight race between Murray and Nikola Jokic for the player of the game as Jokic stuffed the stat sheet yet again with a line of 18 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds.

However, Murray’s scoring clinic in the third quarter is what truly separated the Nuggets from their far lesser opponent on Thursday night.

The absence of Murray’s potent scoring in the first half gave the impression of a possible trap game for Denver, and things could have gotten out of hand quickly for the Nuggets if Murray had failed to catch fire in the second half.

With this performance, Murray furthered his development as a lethal scorer and a reliable three-point threat. At just 21 years old, Murray has a long and fruitful career ahead of him if he can continue to expand and improve upon these aspects of his game.

It’s an exciting prospect for Denver Nuggets fans to consider, especially when the team is the youngest in the league by average age.

Murray is only getting better by the day, and his contributions are sure to prove invaluable down the stretch of this season.