Jamal Murray found his shooting touch at just the right time in Game 2, scoring 21 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and leading Denver past the San Antonio Spurs 114-105.
Murray says his breakout performance, which tied the the first round playoff series at 1-1, was exactly what he’d pictured.
Nikola Jokic added 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets.
Per The Denver Post:
“It was pretty perfect,” Murray beamed from the postgame podium. “Just the way I imagined it. Everybody knows when I get in the zone … I just kind of go crazy. I have a lot of fun. I love the game, play with passion. I was hot.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone comforted him even after his first half torpedoed the team’s offense.
“I didn’t foresee the fourth quarter he was going to have, but I knew in my heart he needed these minutes,” said Malone, extinguishing any thought of pulling his burgeoning star. “He needed to be out there. I needed to show him I believed in him. That’s powerful. If I pull him, ‘Does Coach really believe in me? Does he have my back?’ So I had to stay with him, make or miss, because he’s our guy and I care about him.”
With the game all-but decided and the Spurs dangling on dead, Murray poured salt in the wound with one more transition 3-pointer for good measure. It sent San Antonio into a timeout and sent Murray into a state of euphoria.
“It’s the first of many for Jamal Murray,” Malone said. “I have no doubt.”
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