The Nuggets have not one but two stars who can do it all. In Game 3, Denver’s point guard matched his MVP teammate’s 30-point triple-double and reminded everyone just how talented he really is.
Calling it one of the most significant recordings of Jamal Murray’s life is no exaggeration. With 7:03 left in the second quarter of Game 3 on Wednesday, Murray intercepted a desperate pass from Jeff Green down the left wing. The Denver Nuggets were hot on their heels, battling through another offensive possession, against a strong defense and a deafening crowd in an untenable period when the Miami Heat started smelling blood.
With just three seconds left on the shot clock and Bam Adebayo was right in Murray’s face. Despite the pressure, Murray didn’t hesitate. He executed a quick escape dribble to the right, planted his left foot, and jumped back behind the 3-point line, triggering a step backward that could best be described as a prayer for almost everyone else in the NBA:
For Murray, context wasn’t relevant. The jumper was instinctive. “When the shot clock went down and I just got to my seat and just pocketed it,” Murray said. “Just an exercise I’ve practiced practically my entire life.”
This is true. But now let’s add context for fun. This was Game 3 of the NBA Finals, where the series ended in a tie against a rabid defense in a precarious situation. Nothing about it was routine, especially for a player who missed the last two postseasons with a cruciate ligament rupture. “It was a really big moment. It was a big hit,” said Aaron Gordon. “We need him to step up and take those shots. It’s almost like that [he] calmed the crowd and slowed their momentum a bit. It was a huge shot.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone agreed. “Jamal, he’s a guy who’s thriving, alive and performing right now,” he said. “I’m never afraid of it. You can’t say that about many players.”
In a magical triple-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, that 3-point throw in the first half signaled that Murray was up to something special. (Speaking of special, Nikola Jokic and Murray registered the first game in NBA history, whether in the regular season or the playoffs, as two teammates hit 30-point triple-doubles.)
After a disappointing loss in Game 2 that left him faltering as a defensive player and scoring just 18 points, Murray carried multiple roles in the Nuggets’ 109-94 win in Game 3 — offense leader, pick-and-roll maestro, timely run stopper, dude – who guarded Jimmy Butler and didn’t do a terrible job – and they all matched. He was efficient (12v22 from the floor, 3v6 behind the archway and 7v8 from the free throw line), opportunistic and flashy, including a weird Tier 3 layup Adebayo in the fourth quarter that would have made LeBron James proud …
…and that 3 in the middle of the pitch after a dribble handoff with Jokic catching Adebayo wrong-footed on a substitution.
Murray spent some time manipulating Miami’s defense, moving defenders back and forth with his eyes or a subtle shoulder fake. The hesitant dribble was dirty. The floater game was untouchable. The ability to create separation was spot on. The extra effort – particularly on one play when he beat Butler on his own miss and then sent him back to the layup – was the best the series has ever seen.
Overall, his execution was not flawless. On the other hand, the bar is set high when the Heat commit to a game plan that’s all about slowing you down. Murray was blitzed six times in Game 3, more than in any game in this playoff. Murray committed seven turnovers and at times struggled to deal with the pressure from Miami. But he also found ways to overcome it.
“[Jamal] He had two guys behind him a lot and he didn’t fight back,” Malone said. “I think early in the playoffs there were games where he drew attention and he tried maybe hitting the home run at times. But for him to get loose tonight – I’ve got two guys behind me? I’ll just find Nikola in the bag or Christian Braun cutting, whatever it is.”
Murray turned Miami’s aggressive plans upside down. When Jokic was the screener, he used the defender just long enough to give his accomplice an advantage (keep an eye on Bam’s head on play two):
You know you’re doing something right when an opponent is determined to make sure you don’t look at the basket…while your teammate is a two-time MVP who finishes with 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists.
“Jamal is going to draw so much attention, but it usually happens when Nikola is off work [the ball] Because when you put two on the ball, Jamal, and he finds Nikola in the bag, something good usually happens,” Malone said. “That’s the kind of game Jamal was playing and he’s become accustomed to how he’s being guarded and that’s what you need from your launch point guardian.”
Now is a good time to pause and remind everyone reading this that Murray never made an All-Star team. After watching his performance in Game 3, that phrase almost devalues the achievement: If this guy didn’t make it, then how meaningful can the distinction really be? I’m joking, but also kinda serious!
Murray made the difference in Game 3, but he was a strong force throughout the postseason. Here are some basic numbers from his 18-game run: 27.4 points, 6.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game while making 39.6 percent of his 3s and over half of his pull-up 2s . Forget the All-Star Game, this is a run some All-NBA guards will never live to see. He takes on basketball’s biggest games, under the brightest lights, in the toughest environments, at unimaginably high stakes, maximum pressure, and all the unanalyzable elements that make Murray’s job so damn difficult.
Nothing about that stepback 3 against Adebayo in the second quarter looked easy. It was practiced under duress during a knee-trembling phase. But if Murray showed anything in Game 3 – or even the previous three rounds – it’s that he’s undeterred by the challenge that lies ahead. Win or lose this series, Murray moves like a champ.