The Denver Nuggets have been in perfect control of their playoff series.
Even when they’re down, it always seems like they stay calm, focused, and are a couple of shots away from storming right back into the game.
And while Nikola Jokic obviously gets most of the credit — and rightfully so, it’s been Jamal Murray as the one that’s put the team on his shoulders when the game has been on the line.
As a matter of fact, there’s a huge gap between Murray and the rest of the league in terms of fourth-quarter points in the playoffs, according to StatMuse.
Most 4th quarter points by a player this Conference Finals:
38 — Jamal Murray
[gap]
22 — Austin Reaves
20 — Vincent, Robinson, LeBron pic.twitter.com/aBSD6IDfBT— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 22, 2023
Murray has already scored 38 points in the clutch, 16 more than Austin Reaves (20) and 18 more than Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson, and LeBron James (20).
The fact that he’s scored nearly twice as many as the third on this list points out just how good the Nuggets have been down the stretch, and late-game execution is a must for NBA championship teams.
Murray doesn’t get the praise and recognition he deserves, mostly because he plays for a small-market team.
But the Nuggets have reached the Western Conference Finals in the last two times he’s been healthy and alongside Nikola Jokic in the postseason.
Murray is the kind of streaky shooter and an overly-confident player who’ll rise to the occasion and won’t hesitate to take a big shot when his team desperately craves a bucket.
And that’s the last kind of player you want to have in front of you when it’s NBA Finals time.
NEXT:
Nuggets Star Declares His Team As The ‘Underdogs’
