Jamal Murray blew up on Wednesday night, going off for 52 points, his second 40+ point game of the season. The Nuggets handily won both of those games, and in fact, they’ve never lost a game in which Murray reached 40 points.
He’s gone over 40 points on eight different occasions in his career, and the Nuggets are 8-0 in those games. Four of them have come during this calendar year, with the two this season plus two down the stretch last season. He also had a 41-point game in 2023, a 50-bomb in 2021, and twice passed 40 in 2018.
Ridiculously enough, Murray has also hit 40 points six times in the playoffs. Sadly, that’s where the Nuggets have a blemish, as they are only 5-1 in those games. In a legendary series, Murray reached 40 points three separate times during the 2020 bubble series against the Jazz.
He was outdueled by Donovan Mitchell the first time, but bounced back with two more monstrous outings, helping the Nuggets come back from 3-1 down to win the series in seven games. Jamal also went over 40 in the next round, knocking off the Clippers in another crazy 3-1 comeback.
Then in 2023, Murray went off against the Timberwolves, going for 40 in a first-round victory, then last season, he dropped 43 on the Clippers during a round one win.
Nuggets at their best when Murray is leading the way
A career 13-1 record when hitting 40 points for Murray sounds pretty amazing on the surface, but it makes a lot of sense when you think about it. The Nuggets want to play with Nikola Jokic as their offensive hub, running the show, attracting the defense’s attention, and setting the table for his teammates, specifically Jamal.
Their two-man game, at its best, is completely unstoppable, and it forces the opposition to pick their poison. Teams are almost never going to choose Jokic, so the alternative becomes forcing Murray to beat them.
When he’s locked in, he’s more than capable, as he has proven time and again. I guess the surprising part is that Murray has only gone for 40+ on 14 occasions. When he gets hot, the game seems so effortless for Jamal. Watching him play the other night, it’s hard to imagine that player doesn’t explode for 40 points every few weeks.
But inconsistency and injuries have plagued Jamal’s career, especially in the regular season. Hopefully, this year, things are finally different. He has already gone over the number twice, and the season is just a quarter of the way in. If he keeps this up, it’s going to happen a lot more time, and the Nuggets will continue having a great chance to win those games.