What a difference a game makes! Jamal Murray may have looked like Jekyll against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the season opener, but he was Hyde in the Nuggets' thrilling 23-point come from behind 141-135 overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans. And he may have even taken some of the de facto team leadership reins from Aaron Gordon in the process.
Murray put the poor opener behind him early with 10 quick points, including two three-pointers in the first 7:44 before he picked up a second quick foul. His torrid pace continued, and Nuggets fans got a flash of the "Bubble Murray" that they all remember. He was huge in the second half, scoring 23 of his game-high 42 points, helping to engineer a rally that turned the boo-birds into a playoff-caliber crowd in the fourth quarter and overtime.
But it wasn't just the scoring and precision three-point shooting that left a mark on the Nuggets. It was also his energy in the huddles on the bench all game.
Murray stepped up and provided leadership when the Nuggets needed it
Gordon may be the "glue guy" for the Nuggets on most nights. And Nikola Jokic can dig in and fire up the troops. But against the Pelicans, it was Murray who helped ignite the spark underfoot that finally got the Nuggets to move on defense to stop the Thunder. The Nuggets' offense was looking fine most of the game, but the defense was terrible through three quarters.
But Katy Winge kept mentioning on the broadcast that Murray was trying to get the team going all game long. Even down 20 points, Murray wasn't letting this team quit.
The non-Jokic minutes started the fourth-quarter rally, down by 19 to start the frame, and then it was Murray's time to take over. He scored 10 points over the closing 8 minutes on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, including two more big threes to help his partner in crime, Niko... (checks notes)...err, second-round rookie sensation Trevon Brazile bring the Nuggets back from the brink. Murray finished the game 8-for-16 from beyond the arc, and the memory of the opening-night egg is completely erased.
That kind of passion and fire is what the Nuggets need from Murray moving forward. He's got the skills to repeat as an All-NBA player, and with more performances on par with what we saw against the Pelicans, a second All-Star appearance could be just around the corner, too.
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