Jamal Murray does it again, jump-starts Nuggets in win over 76ers

 

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When the Denver Nuggets have needed a spark on offense this season, rookie and No. 7 overall pick Jamal Murray, seems to always be in the right place at the right time.

Murray’s 14-point second quarter got the Nuggets’ offense in gear on a night where early turnovers plagued Denver’s efficiency as the Nuggets got a much-needed 106-98 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 19-year-old finished with 22 points, his fourth game this season eclipsing the 20-point mark, flanked by Danilo Gallinari who poured in a season-high 24 points.

Denver would not have been in the spot they were, with Philadelphia closing late, if they hadn’t been so careless with the ball in the first half. The Nuggets turned the ball over nine times in the first quarter helping the 76ers to a nine-point lead after 12 minutes and a 53-51 halftime advantage. But Denver limited themselves to just ten turnovers over the remaining three quarters as the Nuggets’ offense got more and more in a groove as the night wore on.

Helping the cause on offense was Will Barton, who in his third game back from an ankle sprain finally looked like himself. Barton scored 22 points on 9-17 shooting, 16 of which came in the second half.

While Western Conference Rookie of the Month Jamal Murray came to play, Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Joel Embiid did not.

Embiid struggled tonight, scoring 16 points on just 5-15 shooting and looked fatigued in the third and fourth quarters. Without Nikola Jokic who missed his third straight game with a sprained wrist, the Nuggets were short-handed in the frontcourt. Embiid hit a couple of late threes but didn’t’ look himself tonight.

Starting center Jusuf Nurkic came to play. The Bosnian’s final line wasn’t flashy; just eight points and ten rebounds in 24 minutes, but Nurkic got in Embiid’s head early after blocking a shot at the rim in the first quarter and seemed to have the upper hand in the big man battle from there.

Darrell Arthur also had a productive night, playing a solid and heady 22-minutes of defense, primarily on Embiid, and also hit a clutch three to help pad Denver’s lead late in the fourth.

Elsewhere for the Nuggets, Jameer Nelson turned in another well-rounded performance, registering seven points, five rebounds, four assists, and five steals.

Footnotes

With Jokic out, the backup five minutes went exclusively to Arthur tonight. Kenneth Faried only logged 13 minutes of action as Michael Malone continues to give Arthur a larger role in the rotation.

Emmanuel Mudiay and Wilson Chandler struggled tonight. Mudiay only played 21 minutes, scored four points, grabbed one rebound, went without an assist, turned the ball over three times, and didn’t see the floor in the fourth quarter. Chandler looked out of sorts offensively and scored ten points on 3-7 shooting in 26 minutes.

WHERE/WHEN

Wells Fargo Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Regular Season Game No. 21

NUGGETS STAR OF THE GAME

Murray turned up the energy on offense in the second quarter and brought Denver back into tonight’s game. The rookie continues to impress this season, as he fights for more and more playing time with a crowded Nuggets’ backcourt.

BY THE NUMBERS

PLAYS OF THE GAME

Nurkic finishes in transition

Well, that was sweet!#Nuggets https://t.co/ONyh8zRo6k

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 6, 2016

Murray over Embiid

Stoppin' on a dime…
The bank is open!#Nuggets https://t.co/h7xKQA8mai

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 6, 2016

Barton gets Embiid on the pump

We see you, Will…#Nuggets https://t.co/qSwtUnFd3x

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 6, 2016

Barton coast-to-coast

Coast to coast!#Nuggets https://t.co/TbKuL6fYP1

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 6, 2016

Murray’s foul-line finger roll

We had to watch this one again…#Nuggets https://t.co/ncGRNHQKhq

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 6, 2016

Nelson’s behind the back special to Murray

🔥🔥🔥#Nuggets https://t.co/xptWbqpIsN

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 6, 2016

WHAT’S NEXT

Denver’s six-game road trip continues as the Nuggets head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets Wednesday on the first night of a back-to-back before playing in Washington Thursday.