After taking a 2-1 series deficit to the LA Clippers, many believed the Denver Nuggets were doomed to be a first-round exit. The Nuggets, on the other hand, did not buy into that.
With a win on Tuesday, the Nuggets have now won two consecutive games to take a 3-2 series lead, prominently led by their star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Jokic has been phenomenal in this first-round series, but fans have been patiently waiting for a signature Jamal Murray playoff performance.
On Tuesday night, they got it.
In Game 5’s win, Murray dropped 43 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals on 17-26 shooting from the field, 8-14 from three-point range, and 1-1 from the charity stripe.
Murray became the first player in NBA history to reach 43+ points in a playoff game while shooting one or fewer free-throw attempts.
Jamal Murray had 43 PTS on 1 FTA.
That’s the most points in a playoff game with at most 1 free-throw attempt in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/MbQQSNzjrY
— Polymarket Hoops (@StatMamba) April 30, 2025
Murray has been noted as one of the league’s top playoff performers for years, but it took him five games to truly find his rhythm. Through the first four games of the series, Murray averaged 20.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals with 42.0/37.5/92.9 shooting splits, but truly showed out in Game 5.
The 28-year-old point guard scored 40+ points just twice through 67 regular season games, but found a way to put the Nuggets on his back to pick up a much-needed win on Tuesday.
The Clippers and Nuggets now head back to LA for Game 6 on Thursday, as Denver has the chance to close out the series and move on.
