Jamal Murray delivers 34 points, Nikola Jokic adds 24 and 19 boards and Denver leans on 2 big 1st-half runs to roll at home.
DENVER – Fresh out of the locker room, leading by 17 points, Denver coach Michael Malone signaled swiftly for a timeout … just 32 seconds into the second half, once Phoenix chopped four points off the home team’s edge.
See, like several of you, Malone watched wide-eyed when the Suns unleashed a third-quarter offensive tsunami in reeling off 50 points Tuesday to beat the LA Clippers in the opening round of the playoffs. So, Malone understood disappointment might be lying in wait before 19,762 frenzied fans screaming inside Ball Arena.
He wasn’t going for that.
“It was a quick timeout to say, ‘Hey man, let’s get our s— together,’” Malone explained. “This is a good team. Don’t give them life. Lock in. Let’s do our job and give ourselves the best chance to win.”
The Nuggets accomplished that mission Saturday in dominating the Suns 125-107 to seize Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Malone’s quick timeout demonstrated just how crucial every decision becomes when two teams chockful of stars clash head-to-head on the postseason stage.
Here are five takeaways from Game 1:
1. The Jamal Murray effect
With 10:30 left to play in Game 1, Jamal Murray spun into a step-back jumper for his 25th and 26th points of the night, only to collect his 28th at the 8:21 mark in transition after pulling down a rebound.
Fewer than two minutes later, the 26-year-old drilled a second consecutive 3-pointer to increase his scoring output to 34 points while pushing Denver to a 112-95 lead. Those two splashes rippled through Phoenix’s collective psyche and the fans at Ball Arena over a span of 28 seconds.
“Hitting that big shot and getting the crowd that loud, you live for those moments, and you want to make the most of those moments,” Murray said. “I’ve been waiting for a while to be healthy, to be back and playing at this level during this time of year. So, it just felt good to feel it and have the crowd behind us.”
Go behind the scenes with Jamal Murray as he tours Australia and talks about his upbringing, his career, playing along Nikola Jokic and his road back from injury.
Murray racked up 20 of his game-high 34 points in the second half, and the Nuggets are now 10-0 this season (including 3-0 in the playoffs) when the guard produces 30 points or more.
Sure, we saw a couple of shaky showings from Murray in the first round against Minnesota, but keep in mind he still averaged 27.2 points, 6.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds in five games against the Timberwolves.
More and more Murray is putting together breathtaking performances reminiscent of what transpired in the 2020 NBA bubble.
Most importantly, he’s positively affecting winning.
5 takeaways from Nuggets' Game 1 victory over Suns - NBA.com
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