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DENVER — You could tell it was coming.
After 19 points in Portland nine days ago and 18 more Sunday night against Utah, Jamal Murray‘s breakout game has been brewing for the last two weeks.
The No. 7 overall pick’s signature moment came tonight at Pepsi Center in Denver’s exhilarating 110-107 win over the Chicago Bulls in front of a raucous and partial Pepsi Center crowd that saw Murray exploded for a career-high 24 points and six rebounds, highlighted by a 15-point second quarter that came during a 24-0 Nuggets run.
“The guy gets 24 & six (rebounds), and he’s shooting into a hula-hoop right now,” Michael Malone said after Murray’s career night. “He’s feeling very confident and the guys are finding him, and I want him to shoot it. He’s playing at a high level.”
Tonight was Murray’s moment, his “Hello, world,” introduction to the rest of the country that watched on NBA TV as Murray carried Denver into halftime and helped the Nuggets hold off Bulls who were paced by Jimmy Butler‘s 35 points.
“He’s had a ton of breakout moments,” Malone said of the No. 7 overall pick. “The stuff he’s done whether it’s at end of the game in Portland, last game in the fourth quarter, Utah’s hanging around a little bit, he just had a couple of daggers. I’ve seen a lot of breakout moments and then obviously the more he plays, he’s going to have more opportunities to do what he did tonight. He’s going to be a kid that’s going to be hard to keep off the floor.”
Malone, in fact, couldn’t keep Murray off the court to close out tonight’s thriller. The rookie gave way to Will Barton with 4:58 remaining in the fourth with the score even at 99-all but re-entered the game because of his shooting with 19 seconds left and the Nuggets needing a bucket.
Murray shot an efficient 9-13 from the field and was 3-4 from three.
“I can’t shoot the ball scared,” Murray said. “It doesn’t take me long to get hot. I feel every shot is going in.”
In the midsts of Denver’s 24-0 second-quarter run, Chicago tried everything to limit Murray. They threw Butler, Rajon Rondo and others at the rookie, none of which could stop the onslaught.
“Word is getting out. Jamal Murray’s a heck of a player,” Malone said. “In every game, he seems to improve. He seems to showcase a little bit more of his abilities and his talents. Teams are going to start game-planning for him at some point because when you shoot the ball as well as he does but he can also get to the basket and finish, he’s a tough cover.”
Since starting the season in a 0-17 slump, Murray is shooting 47.8 percent from the field and is converting on 47 percent of his 3-pointers.
Murray has set himself on a blistering pace, one the rookie, especially a rookie shooter can’t possibly keep up. But man, it will be fun to see him try.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phLNEW8_M8M
