The Nuggets have been playing some bad clutch basketball this season. It's been the talk of the town. Everyone's saying the same thing. "Have the Nuggets lost it? The clutch gene?" Based on Jamal Murray's statement after the Nuggets' first clutch win against a quality opponent in two months, the answer's a no. "We just gotta prove you guys wrong." Giddy up!
With 19 games to go, the Nuggets find themselves in a shocking fifth place in a crowded Western Conference playoff race. It's been tough to watch them lose close game after close game, but with a statement like Murray's, how can you not be on board?
"I feel like for 10 years we've been so good, so good. This is probably our worst year so far of just consistently being clutch. And now we don't got it no more. We just gotta prove you guys wrong," said Murray cheekily with a nice grin that had a meaning we can all get behind.
Murray's not wrong about the past clutch performances
And he's so right, so right. The Nuggets have historically been an upper-echelon clutch team. The title-winning season of 2022-23 saw the Nuggets finish 22-15 in clutch games, not including an 8-4 run in the playoffs. They finished 26-14 in 2023-24 and 21-16 last season.
Murray's right to have that sly smile after that statement. He knows, he remembers what the Nuggets have done in the past. He knows Nikola Jokic can right the ship.
He even had a first row seat to the Joker show, and what he did, beasting his way into the paint and commanding the Nuggets to the clutch win over the Lakers. The same way Murray had done in scoring 45 to defeat the Jazz just one game prior. He made sure to remind the media of that, too.
Murray's statements put this problem to bed for now
If the ball bounces one way differently, the Nuggets could easily be 19-13 in clutch games. We'd be discussing how the Nuggets are within striking distance of the Spurs for the two seed in a season we've been destroyed by injuries.
But therein lies part of the problem that has hurt the Nuggets in the clutch. The injuries have added up, and head coach David Adelman's been using rotations he never dreamt he'd have to concoct. There hasn't been the cohesion needed to get it done, plus everyone's looked a little gassed at times at the end of games from the added minutes.
The Nuggets have 19 games to prove the critics wrong. Thanks, Mal, for the reminder that we shouldn't worry. The Nuggets have still got it.