PORTLAND, Ore. — Less than an hour after Nuggets point guard silenced the rowdy Moda Center crowd and crushed Portland’s hopes of ending this second-round playoff series early, Denver’s rising star was already receiving tutelage from his dad, Roger Murray, who’s long been his harshest critic.
Father and son stood some 15 rows up in the stands, reliving the seismic 34-point, five-rebound, four-assist performance that propelled the Nuggets to their massive Game 4 victory, evening the series at 2-2. It was reminiscent of what Murray did to San Antonio in the first round.
As Murray walked to the loading dock, the Nuggets’ team bus waiting on their fiery guard, he reflected on what it felt like to bury six free throws in the final 13 seconds, with Denver’s season hanging in the balance.
“It feels good knowing that the game is basically in my hands if I make them or not,” Murray told The Denver Post. “Thatap just something I enjoy doing.”
Asked about that unwavering confidence as a 22-year-old navigating his first-ever postseason run, Murray turned back to his Kitchener, Ontario roots.
“I’ve always been the underdog growing up,” Murray said. “I’ve always been discredited, I’ve always been that guy that has to prove himself, over and over. Thatap another way to do it.”
The Nuggets had about 40 hours to recover mentally and physically from their excruciating four-overtime Game 3 defeat late Friday. In the interim, Murray plotted.
“I told Gary (Harris) before the game, letap get out and run,” Murray said. “Letap push the pace.”
It would probably take Murray 10 tries to make the same shot he opened the game with — a falling, looping circus shot over the backboard while falling out of bounds – but after that, he stuck to the plan. Two minutes later, recognizing a mismatch against Portland forward Al-Farouq Aminu, Murray bolted through the lane and finished off a pretty scoop layup for his second bucket. Several possessions later he launched himself like a heat-seeking missile into the teeth of the Blazers’ defense, rocking the rim with bad intentions.
Midway through the first quarter, the Nuggets were already up 17-10 and Murray was responsible for the lion’s share of that lead.
Jamal Murray (34 PTS) and Nikola Jokic (21 PTS, 12 REB, 11 AST) showed out in Portland! 🏹🃏 |
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT)
“Being my teammate the last three years, thatap just who he is,” Harris said. “He’s been like that ever since he came in. He’s just a competitor.”
Even in the aftermath of the devastating Game 3 loss, Harris said he didn’t need to touch base with his backcourt mate.
“Nah, you really don’t gotta do too much talking to him, man,” Harris. “He knows what he has to do.”
It was during that opening quarter Sunday, when Denver first blitzed the Blazers, that Nuggets coach Michael Malone knew his team had erased the sting of Friday’s loss.
“I could tell right away,” he said. “I really had no doubts. I’m not just saying this after the fact. When you’ve been around this team for as many games as I have been this year and you’ve seen them bounce back time and time and time again in hostile environments when their backs are against the ball, you believe.”
Malone also saw the unforgiving emotion on Murray’s face after his dunk, and knew his point guard was in for a night.
“Thatap who he is,” Malone said. “When he tries to play just a low-key, non-emotional game, I think he’s just an average player. A lot of guys can’t play with emotion. … Some guys they get too emotional and they get out of control. But when Jamal plays with that emotion, that fire, that passion, that brings out the best in Jamal Murray.”
In Denver’s six wins this postseason, Murray is leading the team with 25.2 points per game on 51 percent shooting and 47 percent from the 3-point line. His 5.5 assists per game are second only to .
“Nikola’s been the talk of the playoffs for us, rightfully so,” Malone said. “He has another triple-double tonight, but Jamal Murray’s not far behind. In our six playoff wins, he has been a complete stud.”
In the six wins, Murray is also shooting almost 95 percent from the free throw line. His calm at the line, amid the Blazers mounting a furious fourth-quarter charge, turned into the story of the game and a window into Murray’s mind.
“I don’t think it was the first time,” Murray said casually. “I think free throws are my thing. My dad and I, we did a lot of training free throws blindfolded. He’d be talking to me, just like the crowd is, putting pressure on me. I take 1,000 free throws in practice to make one or two tonight. It ended up being 6.”
