Legend of ‘play-off Jamal Murray’ grows as Denver Nuggets thrash Phoenix Sun in NBA Western Conference semi-final opener
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Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray during game one of the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena, on April 29, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – The legend of “play-off Jamal Murray” is getting more storied, after his 34 points helped the Denver Nuggets dominate Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns 125-107 on Saturday in Game 1 of their National Basketball Association (NBA) Western Conference semi-final series.
The Canadian point guard scored 20 of his game-high tally in the second half and added nine assists as well as five rebounds.
The 26-year-old scored six three-pointers, including consecutive treys in the final quarter that stemmed a Suns’ comeback.
Said Phoenix coach Monty Williams: “Some of them shots he hit, I don’t think anybody can stop him tonight.”
Murray missed the last two post-seasons after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in April 2021. The last time he was in the play-offs, Denver reached the Western Conference finals and he averaged 26.5 points and 6.6 assists while shooting 50.5 per cent from the field.
His return to the NBA’s prime time has seen him net 34 or more points in three of his six play-off games.
Said Denver coach Michael Malone: “Jamal just continues to add to the legend of ‘play-off Jamal Murray’. He’s a bad man. I mean, Jamal Murray lives for this.
“The last two years have been tough not having him. Two years ago, we got swept by these guys (the Suns) in the second round, and last year we lost to the eventual world champions (the Golden State Warriors) in the first round.”
The Nuggets’ two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, who scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds against the Suns, told ESPN: “He is playing amazing. He is definitely showing what he is capable of. He is our best player and we are following him right now.”
For anyone surprised by the Nuggets’ dominant performance against a Suns team with Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul, Murray had a message.
He said: “I have been waiting for a while to be healthy to be back and playing at this level and during this time of the year.”
Six Nuggets players scored in double-digits to give the top seeds a convincing victory against the potentially explosive Suns.
Jokic had gone so far as to say the Suns could be considered favourites in the series, and Phoenix looked dangerous as they connected on 66.7 per cent of their shots from the field in a nip-and-tuck first quarter that featured 14 lead changes.
But they led by just one heading into the second period, and the Nuggets inexorably took control to lead 68-51 at half-time.
The Nuggets responded to every Phoenix run and the Suns – led by 29 points from two-time NBA champion Durant and with 27 from Booker – did not get the deficit below 10 points in the second half.
With five minutes remaining, Phoenix waved the white flag and pulled their stars.
Deandre Ayton scored 14 points and Paul had 11 for the Suns, but Denver had 16 three-pointers to Phoenix’s seven and scored 18 points off 16 Suns turnovers.
Murray drained back-to-back threes to launch a 14-0 fourth quarter run that carried the Nuggets to a 120-95 lead.
“Just some big, big shots when they were trying to go on runs – Jamal seemed to stop it almost every time,” Malone said.
Denver, who improved to 38-7 at home in the regular season and play-offs, will host Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Monday.
Durant said he would simply have to be better by then. “I’ve got to be way more careful with the ball. I’ve got to either look to shoot the ball or make the correct pass,” he said. AFP, REUTERS
