INDIANAPOLIS — Nuggets guard jamal mare Was listed as questionable just hours before Denver’s game Wednesday night against Indiana Pacers,
Based on secret information, he left no stone unturned.
Just two nights after spraining his right ankle, Murray delivered one of the NBA’s most efficient performances all season. He made 19 of 25 shots, including an incredible 10-of-11 on 3-pointers, finishing with a season-high 52 points. win 135-120 At the defending Eastern Conference champions.
The 91% clip from deep is the most in a game in NBA history (minimum 10 attempts).
When Murray was asked what was going through his mind as the shots kept falling, he said, “Keep shooting.” “You’ve been doing this for so long, there’s no need to make it any simpler. Just playing, enjoying, playing, enjoying.”
Murray was so excited that he even took a moment to sign autographs during the game.
And he wasn’t the only one enjoying the show.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver was given a first-hand glimpse of what Nuggets coach David Edelman described as one of the most efficient 50-point games in recent memory. bruce brownJoe, who returns with Denver (15-6) in 2023 after winning an NBA title with the team, said Murray’s shooting has made his job easier.
“Just give him the ball,” Brown said he was thinking. “Get out [way]go to the corner. If he needs me, I’ll be ready, but I’ll turn him right back and let him get to work.”
Murray’s shots fell from everywhere – deep, deep 3s, midrange shots, even baskets in the paint. One that hit the front of the rim and looked like it would carom for a rare miss instead bounced off the rim and fell through the net as the Pacers (4-18) overcame a 29-point deficit to get within striking distance in the fourth quarter.
The only thing Murray really missed was matching his career-high of 55 points that he logged portland trail blazers in February.
It was that kind of night, and that kind of season for Murray and the NBA’s highest-scoring team. Aaron Gordon Scored 50 points in October season-opening loss, Nikola Jokic But dropped 55 points during November’s win LA Clippers And now Murray had 52 points on a night the Nuggets fell one point short of their season-high point total, losing 139–136. San Antonio Spurs On 28th November.
Murray believes the difference in winning it was, ironically, defence.
“To me, the defense fuels the offense,” he said. “I know when we’re in the half-court, we play well, we share the ball. We’re unselfish, we cut, we move, we make shots. I think the difference with us is that when we play defense, we can add to that and on the other hand, keep the other team from scoring.”
Murray didn’t just enjoy scoring. He finished with six rebounds, four assists and just one turnover.
It was his second career game with at least 50 points, 75% shooting and less than two turnovers. Since 1977–78, when individual turnovers were first tracked, the rest of the NBA has combined for two such games, Michael Jordan And Dominic Wilkins,
Not bad for a guy who Edelman wanted to go through pregame warmups before declaring him available to play. But Murray never doubted that he would be there to help his team.
“Honestly, it felt really good,” he said. “We did a lot of treatment today before the game and it felt good. Maybe a little soreness at the end of the first quarter, but it was something I couldn’t handle.”
Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.
