Nuggets-Hornets Instant Reactions: Murray Ties Career-High With 23 Points in First Quarter

The Denver Nuggets traveled to Charlotte in search of their 10th straight win on the road. Both teams played shorthanded, with the Nuggets down two starters, and the Hornets down a small army of players, headlined by LaMelo Ball.

Jamal Murray continued to scorch the net, erupting for a monster first half and carrying the offense. The Hornets kept pace with a barrage of threes, but as they cooled off, the Nuggets pulled away for another road win.

Final score: 115-106

Jamal Murray Dominates

Murray is on a tear right now. He shot out of the gate in Charlotte, sprinting to double digits in his first 5 1/2 minutes. He danced his way into the paint and scored on a variety of crafty floaters. He went into his mid-range bag and pulled out some classic Murray buckets. He was cooking.

The Nuggets needed it, too. The Hornets came out firing from deep, and they traded buckets with Murray, who kept Denver afloat early on.

Adelman chose to ride the hot hand, leaving Murray in for the entire first quarter. It paid off. Murray scored 23 points in the first—tied for his most ever in a quarter—on 10-of-13 shooting. He tacked on four more in the second.

It would not, however, be another career highlight for Murray. He came back down to earth after his strong first half, finishing with 34 points.

Hornets Let It Fly

The shorthanded Hornets bombed away from three-point range as they sought to upset the Nuggets. It’s a common strategy for an underdog, and especially so for Denver’s opponents.

The Nuggets tend to leave open shooters in the corners, overcompensating for their porous defense at the point of attack, and rotating frantically to protect the rim. Teams seem to be catching on.

Charlotte attempted 13 of their first 17 shots from three-point range. It propelled them to a 34-point first quarter, drawing even with Denver despite Murray’s production. Charlotte attempted 24 threes in the first half, accounting for 60% of their field goal attempts.

The Hornets cooled off from deep in the third, and the Nuggets benefited from some uncharacteristic misses by Kon Knueppel. Charlotte fell off the pace, and Denver pulled away.

Jalen Pickett in the Rotation

Adelman abandoned the Nnaji minutes altogether in Charlotte, opting to play Jalen Pickett with the second unit instead. Pickett checked in during the first quarter, and he played conservatively at first, the ball barely touching his hands.

Pickett got more involved as he grew more comfortable, slipping to the rim, knocking down a catch-and-shoot three, and firing off some assists. It might be a stretch to say he impressed, but he made some contributions and kept his head above water while logging the second-most minutes of his season.

Pickett finished with 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in 16:03 on the floor.