The Nuggets got a much-needed win over the Pacers on Wednesday night, and the story was Jamal Murray exploding for 52 points. He was on fire from jump street, finishing 19-25 from the floor and a ridiculous 10-11 on three-pointers, to go along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal in 36 minutes.
Denver got the 135-120 victory in Indiana, and Murray and the Nuggets made quite a bit of history in the process. You may recall Aaron Gordon went for 50 points on opening night, then Nikola Jokic dropped in a November game against the Clippers, meaning Murray is now the third different Nuggets player to record a 50-point game this season.
In league history, the Nuggets are now just the third team ever to have three separate players put up 50+ points in the same season. They joined the 1961-62 Lakers, who had Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Rudy LaRusso accomplish the feat, and the 2018-19 Warriors, with Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson.
Remarkably, the Nuggets have done it in just the first 21 games of the season. Oddly enough, though, despite those teams being littered with champions and Hall of Famers, Denver will be trying to buck a trend as those Lakers and Warriors both made the NBA Finals, but lost.
Jamal Murray off to best start of his career
This game was amazing, but it’s a great encapsulation of Murray’s season so far. He has been much maligned for being a slow starter, but he vowed to change that, and his hard work is paying off. Murray is putting up excellent numbers across the board, averaging 24.7 points, 6.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.3 threes a game, shooting 50.3% on field goals and 45.2% on threes, all of which are career-highs.
He has appeared in 20 of the team’s first 21 games, with a 43-point night, a 37-point showing, and a 34-point outing to go along with this 52-burger, and he has scored in double figures in every single game.
This is exactly what the Nuggets needed from Murray, and he is proving all the doubters wrong. If he keeps this up, he’s going to make the All-Star game for the first time in his career, and there’s no reason he can’t make a run at an All-NBA spot.
But more importantly, this is the version of Murray the Nuggets need to contend for a title. When he’s playing like a true co-star to Jokic, this team is virtually unstoppable. The problem has been getting that version of Jamal consistently. This year, we’ve gotten it, and if it keeps up, they’re the only team that can stand in the way of the Thunder repeating as champions.