Jamal Murray is one of the best assets for the Denver Nuggets and he takes yet another occasion to prove that to the world. Denver Nuggets Vs Minnesota match is enough to prove it. This Canadian international plays as the point guard/Shooting guard. However, on Tuesday night, when the Nuggets locked horns with Minnesota Timberwolves, he outshone many other players to guide his team to a much-needed series victory. In fact, that was a stunning finish to the five-game series, which has been highly entertaining right from the first game.
Jamal finished with 35 points, scoring five assists and four rebounds. However, the game was never a cakewalk for the Nuggets and the 112-109 scoreline is enough evidence of that. It was the superior talent and discipline of the Nuggets, which earned them a 4-1 series win and a pass into the second round. On the other hand, Nikola Jokic was also impressive for the Nuggets as he ended with 28 points, 12 assists, 17 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. However, he was not at his best in the match. Therefore, if you wish to know about the key takeaways from the match, then this article is the perfect stop for you.
Jamal Murray Outshines Others
Before this game, Murray had two sub-per games in Minnesota. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was enough to make things difficult for him. However, he seemed determined to do something new in this match, as he rarely missed a chance to offload the ball. This also enabled him to make free runs, off the ball and that seems to have paid off well.
We already know that he dominated the final game of the series and scored 35 points, five assists and four rebounds. In addition to this, in matters of three-pointers, he impressed with a stat of 5 of 9. However, Nickeil Alexander-Walker was again a hard hurdle for him and this tussle between the two made the match even more interesting. It seemed that he had a point to prove against Nickell and he chose this match as the occasion. In fact, in the later part of the game, when he slowed down as a scorer, he handed control of the offence to Jokic and thus, earned this narrow victory.
A Mixed Day For Nikola Jokic
The first half of the game was unorganised for both teams. In fact, combining the stats of both teams, they scored 8-of-36 three-pointers in the first half of the game. The Nuggets, especially, were very poor in scoring the two-pointers, managing only 42.9% of goals from the attempts. Much against the character of the team, they also made numerous mid-range floaters and jumpers. The worst of the lot was Jokic, with only 2-of-10 from the field in the first half.
However, it is very difficult to hold off a player of Jokic’s calibre. The triple-double by him at the end of the third quarter and a few patches of excellent defensive possessions made enough impact on the game. However, his greatest contribution came in the fourth quarter. He went on to score seven points and thus gave his team a -pointer lead with 1:46 remaining on the clock. After all, that is exactly the kind of performance you expect from a two-time MVP.
Stunning Show From Bruce Brown and Michael Porter Jr.
The duo of Brown and Porter Jr. entered the game in high spirits. The Nuggets coach tasked Brown to limit Anthony Edwards and he did that effectively. He has been stunning throughout the night and made all eight free throws which he got. On the other hand, Porter was more or less silent in the first three quarters. However, he gained form in the final quarter rotating the defence perfectly. He also got a three-pointer to go. Therefore, without this duo, the match would have been more difficult for the Nuggets.
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