"People say, 'Oh, that's like vintage ,'" the Denver star told ESPN recently when asked about the moniker "Bubble Murray." ET Friday, ESPN), Murray is ready to prove that "Bubble Murray" isn't some mythological playoff figure and that he and two-time MVP Jokic can be a championship duo. Now, after missing two postseasons and enduring just over two years of painful rehab, stiffness, good days followed by multiple bad days, doubts and fear of the unknown, Murray is determined to remind people what he can do on the playoff stage.Īs he prepares to play in his first hostile playoff environment since the 2019 playoffs when Denver plays Game 3 at Minnesota (9:30 p.m. Murray looked ready to ascend to superstardom until he crumpled to the floor holding his left knee in a regular-season game at Golden State on April 12, 2021. The Nuggets' thrilling run ended at the hands of the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. He outlasted Utah's Donovan Mitchell in a first-round duel for the ages and shocked the LA Clippers in the second round, helping Denver make history with two straight comebacks from down 3-1 in a series. Just over two-and-a-half years ago, inside the Orlando bubble in 2020, Murray's career was exploding. It's been a grueling climb to this moment. "What people don't see is if I can't go up and down the stairs, what makes you think I'm able to guard Stephen Curry?" Murray told ESPN recently after a Nuggets practice. Although some fans might've thought otherwise after he showed flashes during pregame warmups through the season, behind the scenes Murray had difficulty navigating steps, let alone being able to chase a Splash Brother all over the court.
Only a year ago, Murray sat on the bench watching the Golden State Warriors dispatch the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic in five games in the first round after deciding he wasn't ready to return to playoff basketball on his surgically repaired left ACL.
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Murray scored 22 points in the second half, including eight in the final 3:45, to finish with 40 points and push the Nuggets to a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series against Minnesota.Īfter Murray authored his fifth career 40-point playoff game - he is only the third player in NBA history to have more 40-point games in the playoffs than in the regular season (four) - the exhausted point guard plopped down in his seat on the bench with 11 seconds left as Ball Arena roared in appreciation. Murray was back in his element, in another 40-point playoff duel against a rising star and coming away with the final say. "I told him the other day, he looks better than ever," Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
Then Murray spun and drilled a jumper before pointing toward the Wolves guard to let him know he couldn't be guarded. On one third-quarter score, Murray drove to his right and stopped so abruptly that defender Nickeil Alexander-Walker went sliding toward the rim. Edwards hit 10 of his 15 shots to score 27 second-half points on his way to 41 points.īut Edwards' best playoff performance to date only lit a fire under Murray. The Wolves erased a 21-point deficit by scoring 40 points in the third quarter. Murray and Anthony Edwards were about to put on a second-half show. But the playoff fireworks hadn't truly begun yet in Game 2 between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The highlight jam was the most emphatic part of Murray's 14-point first quarter on Wednesday. The moment Towns went to pass out of the ensuing double-team by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Murray jumped the passing lane, intercepted the ball and slammed down a thunderous one-handed breakaway dunk. KARL ANTHONY-TOWNS backed down Aaron Gordon in the post, as Jamal Murray was lurking with an eye locked on the Minnesota big man the entire possession. On Saturday, Jamal Murray scored 34 points in Denver's Game 1 win over Phoenix.
Why the Orlando bubble was 'just the beginning' for Jamal MurrayĮditor's note: This story was originally published on April 21.
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